


Two-faced Riddle

by prion



Series: Butterfly Effect [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Drama, Gen, Humor, Science Fiction, Supernatural Elements, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2017-12-21 03:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 109,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/895268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prion/pseuds/prion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Avengers/ Sequel to Cognosco. Tony just wanted to one-up his buddy Loki. He never thought his experimentation on teleportation would accidentally pull some boy from a different universe into his lab basement. Harry's "first" day there is plain horrible: a botched CPR, parachuting without a parachute, and then his wand breaks.<br/>For Harry, it only proves to be a temporary, but frustrating setback.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dead on Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my first story Cognosco. I hope I've written this story in a way that reading the prequel is an option.  
> Harry will be challenged in this story and he's going to have a rough start. I'm writing this story with certain battle mechanics in mind and there's a logic behind what spells are used.  
> I've classified this story with the sci-fi label because 1) the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have so far been sci-fi (yes, including Thor) and 2) math is a very important part of canon HP magic.  
> I want to infuse this story with a sense of realism so I've tried to research as many topics as I could.

Harry Potter, Unspeakable Magical Researcher in the Department of Mysteries, picked up his robes from the coat hanger. He was out the door with one arm in a sleeve while the other arm was still trying to find the other sleeve.

Walking through the empty marble hallways, he reflected on how he got here. He had always thought he was a normal bloke just placed in extraordinary circumstances. He didn't have killer instincts, no ridiculously powerful magical core, not as intelligent as Hermione, and despite the first half of his life, he emerged reasonably ... balanced. He was under no illusion about his success over Voldemort; he wasn't a hardened veteran but an extremely lucky boy with talented wizards and witches behind him. After the battle at Hogwarts, Harry could finally breathe. He had traveled a little afterwards to see the places he had been to before (but without the running-for-your-life part).

He didn't look his age, but at forty–one, he had grown into a solitary life with thank goodness, no action. No Ginny. No family, but plenty of supportive friends. He wasn't comfortable enough with anyone to share his problems and that included Ginny.

It had been a difficult choice at first, but after several years of their Hogwart's graduation (they decided to finish and get their degrees) Harry had noticed that he had not aged and finally convinced himself that he had made the right choice not to involve Ginny. He still looked like a teenager and while that was alright for the first couple of years, he was forced to use glamours to age his face later on. A little make-up helped in situations where using magic was not allowed.

His lasting youth was a continuing puzzle for him and the main reason he had declined an offer of a more action-filled life as an Auror to a quieter career path in the Department of Mysteries. He thought it was suitable; it was like a semi-retirement after all that excitement from his teenage years. While not as studious as Hermione, he had managed to apprentice himself to an Unspeakable. At first he was given inventory duties and confiscated dark artifacts to classify. Through the years he gained the trust of the Department to finally request this specific assignment. The trust he gained was the hardest thing he had to work for; he had thought Moody was exceptionally paranoid, but the Unspeakables were of the same stock. The difference was what the paranoia was applied to; here it was for the safety of its members and the continuation of their work. Working with dangerous artifacts tend to do that to people.

Harry took a deep breath before entering the Death Room. The chill and small breeze always unnerved him. The draft did not come from outside he knew, but from what he assumed was the Veil. Its tattered and ghostly drapes ever swaying to some beat he had no way of hearing. He circled the gate like he had before over the course of a couple of months.

Every Unspeakable was assigned to the Death Room at least once. This was his turn. He didn't think he could come up with anything new from his time here, but he was more than willing. After almost two decades, he believed what was giving him his prolonged youth had something to do with the Deathly Hallows. He thought snapping the Elder Wand, throwing away the Resurrection Stone, and hiding away his Invisibility Cloak would be the end of the legend – the end of the death and betrayal that always accompanied those magic objects.

Now though, he wasn't sure. The Resurrection Stone always came back to him. He would drop it in some hole, but a week later, someone would find it and try to pawn it off. It would end up back in Harry's hands when Aurors would raid the shops for dark artifacts. The stone would give off a hint of dark magic, enough to end up in the Department of Mysteries to handle and store. There were a dozen case numbers for the same stone. It would gain another one when Harry thought up of a more clever way of getting rid of it, but eventually Harry gave up. He would keep it; better with him than someone else and all that rot.

Harry had always felt someone was with him in the Death Room. Someone standing behind the gray rippling veil, watching him, always silent. He wondered if his godfather was watching. Harry had moved past the sharp grief long ago, but there was still that lingering ache in his breast. His life might have played out differently if Sirius was still alive. Harry shook himself. He did not want to think about "what if."

From the corner of his eye, he saw the frail cloth shiver – a little faster than normal.

"This is new." Harry stepped up onto the dais and placed a hand on the doorway. "Padfoot, if that's you, stop playing with the curtains," he joked.

The cloth rippled in an odd way. Harry thought it looked like someone's finger was tracing lines up and down the veil. He took a closer look, mindful of the dangerous position he was in. He didn't think Sirius would appreciate him falling into the veil accidentally.

As he leaned a little closer, he put more weight on the hand he had on the gate. He didn't see the minute cracks that were crawling on the ancient stone; he was too engrossed in the patterns on the veil. Patterns he didn't recognize.

The stone finally gave way and crumbled under his fingers. He tried to pull back but his balance was already tipped forward.

"Bloody Hel – " were the last words he spoke before his fingers dipped into the cool veil.

* * *

Harry stirred and blinked. He hadn't felt such a headache since the colossal hangover he had gotten the morning after Ron's bachelor party fifteen years ago. Where was he now?

His eyes focused and then strained. It was all white; there was nothing to focus on. He held his head in his hands as he rolled over to his knees. At least he still had his glasses – miraculously unbroken and still on his face. He shook his head to clear the pain, but the shaking made it worse. He groaned out loud.

"Harry Potter."

Harry whipped around, hand on his wand holster. He saw no one.

"I have a riddle for you."

His eyes searched all around, but the voice was everywhere – echoing.

"There are two sisters…"

"I don't care. Who are you?"

"… one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first."

"Where are you so I can kick your arse? If this is some bloody joke…"

"Who are the two sisters?"

Harry noticed a far off light in the distance. It was hard to distinguish from the rest of the _white_ but he pushed through the pain in his head and started walking in the light's direction. In the back of his mind, he questioned the wisdom behind it. Weren't there sayings that tell you not to walk into the light?

As he got closer, he noticed that the air got thicker. It was like a foggy morning, he thought, except much creepier.

He couldn't see much past his nose, so it was no surprise he stumbled on something. It was soft and _warm_. He scrambled back and pulled out his Holly wand.

"Do not speak unless you have the answer," the creature warned.

Harry snapped his mouth shut. He followed the gigantic paw – it was easily as big as he was tall – to the creature's body and finally its head.

Harry was about to say "You're a sphinx" but stopped in time. She would take whatever came from his lips as his answer. He could only guess what the consequence was if he answered wrong. What was a sphinx doing here? A gigantic one too. Where was here anyway?

Well wherever he was, he didn't see anything else. Harry should have paid attention to the riddle before blabbing. He concentrated. Something about two sisters giving birth to each other? Sounded sick, he immediately thought.

Alright, alright, get back on track Harry. Sounds like a cycle, one leading to the other. With two phases.

"Day and night?" Harry blurted. He backed up just in case he was wrong. He could always try to run.

A second passed, then two, then three. Harry sweated. Did he answer wrong?

"Correct, Harry Potter." The sphinx lowered her head to get a better look at him. Her face was beautiful he distractedly thought. He sighed in relief.

"So what am I doing here? And who are you?"

"You may pass. I am the Gatekeeper."

"What gate? And how did I get here?"

"The one behind me. You are here because you passed through a Gate."

Harry tried to peek around her huge form but he saw only more _white_. "Gate? You mean the Veil?" As soon as he said it, Harry finally realized that he had in fact passed through the veil. He could just imagine the spectacular obituary now: Wizarding Savior Off-ed Himself by Veil. "I just passed through the veil…" he groaned out in shame.

Then he remembered something. "Does this mean Sirius is here? Did he have to get through you too?"

"Sirius Black did not pass through here. You are special and thus here."

"Great…Dumbledore was wrong. It's not the next great adventure but a pain in the arse," Harry muttered privately. Looking back up, he asked, "So what am I doing here?"

"You are here to pass through the Gate behind me." Harry didn't appreciate the repeat answer. He didn't think he'd get an elaboration so didn't bother asking. "Am I going to get back home?"

"Home is relative. To answer your question though, I do not know."

Harry thought that was a wise answer. _I don't know_ had been the mantra of his life.

Still feeling distrustful of her, he went in a wide circle around her before going straight.

Why was he doing what she told him to do? Because he's a bored idiot with nothing to do except falling into Veils, he berated himself. As he walked on, he wondered if this place was like the train station.

Before he was swallowed by the fog, he heard the sphinx give him a cryptic message. "There is more than one answer."

* * *

Tony Stark, famous billionaire and proud owner of the Iron Man suit, checked the wiring and the supercooling units for the over-sized magnets one last time. He had expanded his basement specifically for these giant magnets that ran under his house in a large ring. He was determined to get this side project right. With JARVIS, he had studied Loki's teleportation abilities – both local and long distance. If he could pull this off, he'd have one up-ed the God of Mischief and Lies. The fantasy spurred him on.

Tony went to a nearby table and downed the last of the scotch in the glass. From experience he knew he worked best while half drunk (or threatened with death). He had to get just the right amount of alcohol to achieve it though. It didn't help his concentration, but when it came to outlandish ideas that no one had ever thought of, well this was when his psychotic muse came out.

JARVIS's voice broke through Tony's thoughts. "Sir the magnets are successfully cooled to near absolute zero."

"Alright, power it on," Tony ordered. He heard the hum and when it continued to get louder he grew more confident. So far, it hadn't broken down fifteen seconds into the run – like last time. Tony winced, that had taken a while to replace.

"Proton-proton collision successful."

"JARVIS, don't just do one. Come on."

"Sir, this may overheat the system beyond repair."

"JARVIS, what did I say?"

"Yes sir," came the tired reply. "What was I thinking using such modest settings?"

Tony's mansion began to shake. He wondered if his house was earthquake-proof. Probably not, and even if it was, it was sitting on top of a _cliff_.

JARVIS's voice signaled the final lurch. "Sir, we were successful in creating a short-lived wormhole. However, there is now an obstruction in the ring structure."

Tony opened the latch to the ring chamber thinking something had come loose. He did not expect to find a teenaged boy dressed in conservative tie, sweater vest, and a black cloak lying at the bottom.

Tony stared on in shock before he crowed in delight. "I think I did it. Teleportation at least! Victory!" Tony obviously didn't think about the ramifications of kidnapping a person until about half a minute into his victory dance.

"Hey kid. Get up now." When the black haired boy didn't move, Tony became worried. The closer he got, the more concerned he became. He couldn't see the tell-tale sign of life: breathing. Tony's arc reactor in his chest gave off enough light in the chamber, but it wasn't bright enough for him to tell if the boy's color looked healthy. Everything looked like it had a blue tint. When he felt around for a pulse, he was alarmed at the coolness of the skin. He hurried and pressed two fingers to the boy's neck – he felt nothing. Now he was panicking.

"DUM-E, get the defibrillator!" Tony shouted out to his robot. He didn't know what the hell he was doing. Should he do CPR? He didn't know a thing about it except what he saw on tv. Okay, okay, what did they do? He placed both hands on top of the boy's chest and pressed down several times. Then what? Tony tipped the head up and pried the jaw open. When DUM-E finally rolled near the latch, Tony gave up and climbed back up to get the defibrillator. He spared a thought to Pepper and how he needed her.

He looked confusedly at the paddles in his hands. JARVIS saved him from going further into panic. "Sir, one goes to his upper right torso above the heart and the other to the left below the heart."

Tony took a deep breath, but before he could begin, the boy moved. Tony dropped the paddles and stared at the face. Nothing happened – maybe he had imagined it? Oh god, he was becoming delusional! He had killed someone by bringing him here. It was well past five minutes; the small window of time to prevent brain damage from lack of air.

Tony felt something heavy in his heart. He stared at the young face wishing that the boy would just get up and be fine.

Tony got his wish.

Green eyes snapped open to look in his direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not what you do if someone flat-lines. Tony really does not know what he's doing; that's what happens when you try to follow TV shows.


	2. Crash Landing

Harry came back to reality to find out three things. The first thing Harry saw in the darkness was a glowing blue ball moving around strangely. The second thing he realized was his need for air. He gasped and breathed in greedily. The third thing he noticed was that his chest hurt and his headache had somehow gotten worse.

"Kid, can you get up?"

Well what do you know? A glowing blue ball that talks.

"Wha… ?" Harry croaked out.

The light seemed to bounce around. "Maybe you _are_ brain damaged."

"What?" Harry asked again, more clearly this time.

"Never mind, we'll figure that out later. Anyway, can you get up?"

Harry didn't have to think long to make up his mind. His body was doing a good job at screaming the answer. "Yes, but do I want to? No."

"You can't stay here like this."

Harry didn't know why he was arguing with it. "Yes I can. I've had enough of following strange balls of light."

There was a brief pause before the light answered. "You make a habit of following strange balls of light?"

"Uh – it hurts to just talk," Harry whined. "Look, Mr. Blue Ball – or would you prefer Blue Light? – just give me a minute … maybe a couple hours."

"Blue light? I'm not some clearance sale."

Harry barely heard that before the pain in his head took him away for the couple hours he requested.

The next trip back to reality was less painful. Harry woke up looking at white again. Was he back with the sphinx? He quickly checked for his wand and some other belongings on his person before looking around again. His vision did not clear up any but he was able to make out a dark blob moving around. Squinting did not help – just made it fuzzier.

"Eyes that bad huh?" It was the same voice from before. Something was pressed into his hand. Harry was relieved when it turned out to be the familiar outline of his glasses and placed them on his face. He turned to look at Mr. Blue Light – who didn't look like a ball of light anymore. Harry did notice the glowing circle shining through the man's shirt though. Lying flat on his back on a wide couch, trying not to move his aching torso so much, Harry had to crane his neck to get a better look at the man's face – and then did a double take.

"You're –"

"Tony Stark I know."

"Wait what? I thought you were an actor," Harry replied confusedly.

Tony had an amused look on his face. "Really?"

"I don't remember that well. I don't watch movies that much, but didn't you play in several? Like Sherlock Holmes?"

"Genius detective - I like that, but no."

Harry blinked. "I get it, you must be a look-alike."

Tony laughed and drank from a glass. "Nope, I'm the original Tony Stark. It's funny how you don't know."

"I could have sworn you went by another name," Harry said quietly before looking at Tony again. Harry was convinced Tony was a muggle. A strange one with a constant flashlight in his chest, but still a muggle. If Tony hadn't recognized him by now, then using his real name wouldn't be a problem either. "My name's Harry Potter. Thank you for taking care of me, but er – " Harry took a moment to look around at all the gadgets and cars. " - where am I?"

"In my basement." Basement? If Harry didn't have his wand with him, he'd be very worried about his safety.

Harry needed to know more than this. He didn't think that Gate spit him out in just anybody's basement. Also, he wanted to know how far he needed to Apparate to get back. He didn't think he was in the same country. Harry furrowed his brow; there was also something odd about how Tony had answered. "In your … basement? And where is this relative to everything else?"

"Uhh, judging from your accent, you're from Britain right?"

"Yes," Harry answered slowly.

"You're in the U.S. right now." Harry was stunned; he didn't think the sphinx would send him over the pond. With his luck, he had thought somewhere more … dramatic. No, this was good. This could easily be fixed. He just needed to go to the American Ministry and floo his way back. Simple.

"And I might have cracked some of your ribs," Tony admitted quickly. It was almost too quickly to make out, but Harry heard it all.

"What?!" Harry regretted yelling immediately. He grit his teeth as his ribs protested.

"It was for emergency CPR, I swear!"

"What? Do I look dead to you?"

"Not now!"

"We didn't – did we?" Harry gestured to his mouth.

"No!"

Now Harry was frustrated. "How the hell were you doing CPR when all you did was crush my ribs?"

"Argh, I panicked, okay?"

"Shouldn't I be in some infirmary? Hospital or something? Away from you, maybe?"

"You looked ok! But I can drive you there. I'll even pay for all the expenses." Harry considered the offer. It was a good one, since well Tony did crack his ribs and until he could get some privacy to heal himself, this was his best option. Better than being in Tony's care, at least. Plus, it would give him the chance to get away so he could go to the American Ministry of Magic.

Harry might have reconsidered the offer if he knew beforehand how Tony drove.

* * *

Harry liked speed – loved it really. The wind rushing through his hair and the excitement of flying through the air. He did _not_ like the fact that he was sitting in a two ton metal trap zipping at over 200 km/hr, swerving over California cliff sides and the man driving it giving a running commentary about how awesome his customized Audi R8 was. Harry didn't care about how many horses this car had – whatever the hell that meant.

"Car. Car. Car!" Harry screamed. He gasped and clutched his sides; he forgot about his ribs again.

Tony swerved around the car in front and sped up again. "Relax, I know what I'm doing."

"That sounds automatic. Like you have to convince people - often."

"Eh, I'm Tony Stark."

That wasn't an explanation, Harry thought; he gripped his seat tighter.

When they arrived to the city, Tony parallel-parked by drifting into the spot. Harry didn't waste any time opening the door, fighting with the seatbelt, and stumbling out the car. He thought about running, but didn't think he'd make it very far with his injury.

Harry followed Tony inside and soaked in the details. He'd never stepped inside a muggle hospital before but immediately felt the similarities. The order and sterility was present in the very air, walls, and people who worked here.

Tony approached the young nurse at the desk and gave her a winning smile. She wasn't impressed.

"My friend here needs a comprehensive exam, if you could squeeze it in."

"Of course, Mr. Stark."

Harry was surprised she knew his name. "You must be more accident prone than I am. Who am I kidding? Of course with the way you drive."

"I drive more than cars." Tony's smile grew bigger and Harry got the feeling that there was more to that statement. "And I own this place."

Harry hadn't appreciated Tony's glass house, nice car, and sharp suit before, but now things started to click. Harry thought Tony played the eccentric rich man very well – one who didn't take responsibility very seriously. Those tend to be the troublesome sort. Wary, Harry took a step back from Tony. "Well I'll be fine on my own now. So thank you very much, but I hope this is the last we see of each other Mr. Stark. I - I don't think I can survive another encounter with you."

Harry quickly filled out the forms and without looking back, followed the nurse.

* * *

Harry had stolen away when he was left alone to change in the exam room. He just simply walked out of the building from the back and into the streets. He needed to find someplace quiet and with no one around. He had considered doing some minor healing spells and Disapparating from the hospital, but he realized that doing that much magic might mess with the medical equipment. He wanted to get back quickly to his friends and home, but he wasn't that desperate he'd endanger patients' lives.

After searching the busy streets, he found a deserted corner. He carefully crouched down behind some trash cans and pulled out his wand from the holster strapped on the underside of his lower arm. The tip of the wand extended beyond the bottom of the holster to his wrist for quick spell-casting without drawing. A nice trick that fooled people into thinking he could do wandless magic – at least on the spells that didn't require intricate wrist movement. For what he was about to do though, he needed a bit more precision. He gingerly lifted his shirt to look at the bruises on his chest.

" _Ferula._ "

Bandages appeared and wrapped around his middle. He grunted when they tightened a little too much and tied themselves in place. Surprised to find a considerable amount of the pain ease up, he stood on his feet and tested the bandages by moving around. Good, they held.

Now to get back. His friends must be worried and he hoped he hadn't been away for too long. He hadn't asked Tony how long he was out – Harry was that desperate to get away from him.

Harry had been to the American Ministry once when he had to deliver a dark artifact that had been taken from the Americans but recovered on British soil. It had been several years ago, but he was certain he knew the Apparition point. With an almost inaudible – he had worked hard to practice on the sound - pop, Harry Disapparated away.

He was very good at hopping from place to place. He had never missed before and he could remember the Apparition point with the tight alleyway and the green dumpster clearly, so why was he standing on nothing but 300 meters of air?

"Shite."

Harry felt like he had swallowed his own heart before gravity took a hold of him.

"Shite! Shite! Merlin's saggy left – "A bird flew into his face.

He wrestled the bird away. Merlin! He didn't have a broom on him! How the hell did he get up here? He was next to a skyscraper, free-falling with the people inside as witnesses. He had tried so hard to preserve the Statute of Secrecy, but he couldn't imagine how anyone could miss him now – screaming the entire way down.

Screw the Statute! Harry slammed his eyes shut, aimed for the ground, and took another chance at Disapparition.

This was how Harry James Potter got the attention of SHIELD.

* * *

Parked in a No-parking zone, Tony took another bite of his cheeseburger as he flipped through the stapled hospital forms of one Harry James Potter. Tony had found his house guest curious. After Tony had pulled Harry out of the lab basement, he had asked JARVIS for the length of time Harry had not been breathing. Tony was stunned when JARVIS had answered over ten minutes. Tony wasn't a doctor, but he didn't think Harry's recovery was normal.

He had grown increasingly suspicious of his guest after JARVIS had informed him that something of Harry's was emitting an electromagnetic field. Tony had checked while Harry had been asleep; there was nothing on the boy to indicate any electronics.

Here was another piece to the puzzle: Harry's sense of time. He had filled out the forms with the date 2021 when Tony was very sure that it was 2012. Harry didn't just make a simple error and switched the digits, because he had filled out his age at 41. If that number was true, Tony wanted whatever Harry was on.

Even stranger was the fact that Harry never questioned how he had gotten from somewhere in Britain - half way around the world - to Tony's basement. Tony thought that if it had been him in some stranger's basement, he would at least have asked then sued the guy for harassment and kidnapping. Harry did neither; he was just desperate to get away. And get away he did.

"Sir."

"JARVIS?" Tony asked through the earpiece.

"Sir, there was a teleportation event." Now this was something, he thought. "It does not match Loki's signal pattern."

"Similar to his and the collider in the basement right?"

"Yes sir. _Now_ there is a second event."

"Locations?"

"Still within Los Angeles sir."

"Check every surveillance camera. I want to know if you catch anything."

"Done sir. A couple of cameras had caught an unusual sighting: an unidentified jump victim. Unusual due to his lack of proximity to any tall buildings that would justify the height he had originated."

Tony was disappointed that JARVIS could not identify the man. "His characteristics?"

"Black hair with glasses, dress pants, tie and vest."

Tony had a crazy idea – not so crazy for him though. "Coat?"

"A black robe had fallen with him."

A slow smile formed on his face. "JARVIS, get Bruce on the line."

* * *

Night time had settled over the Los Angeles area and the moon hung high up in the sky. It provided just enough light for the two men to make their way through the gravel path. One walked purposely forward, while the other kept glancing behind him. In their hands they carried shovels.

"Tony, how did you convince me to come with you?" Bruce Banner asked again. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around again to make sure no one was here. "I should be back in the lab. I was working on something."

"Because you're convinced I'm right. And that thing you're working on can wait. Besides you spend too much time in my tower."

"Tony! You flew me out of New York to Los Angeles so we can sneak into a cemetery! This is not what I had in mind when you said I should get out more. And - and you're saying that a dead man, can't wait? Tony! I- I don't know what to think. Are you out of your mind?" Bruce whispered harshly as he pulled Tony back.

"I'm right about this. Trust me." Tony gave him a confident smile and hurried his pace.

Bruce tried a different tactic. "You know this is illegal, right?"

Tony looked back and tossed him a disbelieving look. "You know that's not going to convince me right?"

Bruce sighed. "Had to try."

Tony quickly passed by several head stones before he stopped in front of one. Still overwhelmed by what they were about to do, Bruce almost ran into Tony when he had stopped.

"John Doe #4134. Here he is." Tony was the first to start shoveling the fresh dirt. Bruce shook his head but eventually gave in.

"So who's this guy?" Bruce thought he should at least know more about John Doe before digging his grave.

"Eh someone SHIELD had followed… but then lost interest quickly."

Bruce paused in his digging to ask, "What do you mean?"

Tony pointed to the ground they were standing on. "He died, obviously."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "So what was so interesting in the first place?"

"Apparently he sky-dived without a parachute."

"That doesn't sound like something SHIELD would look into."

"Yea, well there was no plane flying at the time."

Now Bruce was interested. "He couldn't have jumped from a high place?"

"Nope, nothing was close enough. I did the math Bruce. Our John Doe here fell alright, but he didn't fall as hard as he should have if the video recordings are accurate. Still killed him though."

Bruce and Tony spent the next hour shoveling away the dirt. When Bruce's shovel didn't sink in but thumped against something, Tony gave Bruce a manic grin.

"Moment of Truth," Tony declared. He dug out more of the dirt before finding the lock. He smashed it with his shovel a few times before it gave way. Bruce held in his breath; he wasn't sure if it was because he was anticipating the stink of a corpse or proof of what Tony had been saying.

Bruce looked away as Tony crouched down and lifted the lid.

He heard Tony chuckle. "I don't think you're surviving too well, are you Harry?"

"Sod off."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Resuscitation is never easy on the body or mind of the patient. I can't imagine resurrection being any better.


	3. Crash Course

"Sod off?" Bruce repeated. He didn't think he heard right and it didn't sound like Tony's voice. He peered into the wooden coffin and found a young face with a tired pair of green eyes. Bruce turned to look at Tony, who had the widest grin on his face. "It - he - he - is - "

"Alive, I told you." Tony smacked Bruce on the shoulder as he discarded the shovel. Bruce looked at his wristwatch as the beeping died down. He hadn't realized it had gone off.

As he watched Tony grab one of Harry's arms and pull the teenager to a sitting position, Bruce saw that the boy was still trying to figure out what was going on - like he had just woken up. Bruce didn't know if this situation fit the description: waking the dead. But how was this possible? He had seen the autopsy records and Harry was certifiably dead only a short time ago. Bruce took a deep breath before crouching down, and asked, "Your name's Harry right?"

Harry looked to Bruce and squinted. He nodded in response but then grimaced in pain and held a hand to his head.

"Alright, lets get him out," Tony suggested as he pulled Harry out. "We gotta hurry; night patrol should be coming soon."

Bruce glared at Tony. "You should have mentioned this earlier!"

"Didn't want to put too much on your plate. I had trouble getting you to come along with me as it is," Tony defended. As soon as Tony said this, Harry wobbled, stumbled and collapsed completely. Tony sighed. "Thanks Harry. Now we have to carry you."

Bruce had expected this to happen. Harry hadn't looked too well to begin with. "Tony, here, I'll get out first then I'll pull him up, then you can get out."

Tony nodded and they did just that. When they were both out of the ditch, Tony took Harry's shoulders while Bruce carried the legs. It was awkward, since Bruce kept dropping Harry, but at least it wasn't Tony right?

"You know, we look like we just kidnapped a person. Or stolen a body," Bruce pointed out as he dropped Harry's legs again. "Tony stop, you're going faster than me. I keep dropping him."

"You want to leave him back there?" Tony grinned at Bruce's shocked face. "Didn't think so. Anyway, here's a better idea." With a bit of effort, Tony carried Harry over his shoulders.

Bruce wondered why they didn't think of it sooner. He didn't think much more on it as they sneaked their way out and into another one of Tony's cars. It had been hidden a distance from the cemetery behind a copse of trees.

Bruce spared a last glance at the cemetery as they drove off. This was the strangest night he had ever experienced.

* * *

Harry rolled over off the couch. He immediately woke up from crashing on the floor and blinked rapidly.

"Tony said that you might want your glasses. So here," a voice to his right said.

Feeling like this was déjà vu, Harry placed the glasses on his face. It was the right prescription, but they didn't feel _right_.

Harry pointed to them. "These aren't my glasses."

The friendly-looking man smiled at him. "Tony took the liberty of getting a replacement for you."

"What? Why? And who are you?" Harry took the opportunity to look around. This looked like Tony's house. With all the glass as walls. How was privacy possible in such a house?

"Your original broke … when you fell. And I'm Bruce Banner - Tony's friend." Bruce offered his hand.

"Harry Potter." They both shook hands. Harry was curious about the first thing Bruce had said. "What do you mean I _fell_?"

Bruce appeared uncomfortable before he nervously asked, "You don't remember?"

Harry looked at Bruce strangely as he recalled the last thing he did. "I had gone to the hospital with Stark, but I left it to … oh Merlin! I fell! I had Disapp - " Harry covered his mouth with his hand before he could say anymore.

When Harry didn't speak, Bruce decided to offer more information. "We – uh – found you and brought you here."

Harry noticed the hesitation but most of his mind was occupied with the fact that he had broken the Statute. He groaned out loud.

His pity party didn't last long. Harry turned when he heard the sound of footsteps at the staircase. It was Tony with a towel around his neck and a wide smirk on his face. "Hey, whatever pain you have, you can't blame me this time." Tony walked to the two in his living room before adding, "And I just saved you – well Bruce and I saved you."

Before Harry could ask about why he was in this house again, Bruce asked, "Tony, where did you go?"

Tony tossed Bruce a look - a look that said _why are you asking?_ "I went to get a shower. We were hip deep in a grave if you remember."

"What?" Harry confusedly asked. He didn't think he heard that right.

Tony faced Harry, who was still sitting on the ground. "Your grave, actually."

"What?!" Now Harry was sure he didn't hear right.

"Don't act so surprised; we're the ones who should be."

Harry shook his head. "I don't understand."

"You were dead, Harry. And now you're not. I want to know how." Tony walked to the counter to get himself a drink. He lifted a glass to Bruce and Harry, but neither of them wanted anything.

Harr didn't know what to say. He couldn't possibly have died; that was just absurd. He tried to remember anything about what Tony had just said – tried to remember dying. His mind remained blank. The last thing he remembered was Disapparating while falling in the air. He didn't want to tell them about that though. Deciding that this must be some prank, Harry just looked at Tony in confusion.

Tony sighed. "Look, if this is your way of trying to keep a secret, you're doing a bad job of it. You fell from like several hundred feet in the air. We have surveillance camera footage of it. We know how you died. What I'm interested in is how you got that high up in the air and how you're here talking to us now."

Harry thought this was completely getting out of hand. Where was his wand? Maybe he could Obliviate them and just get away. He ignored Tony's questions and asked one of his own, "Where are my things?"

"You were buried with whatever was on you. So if you lost something, then it wasn't where we found you."

Harry was stunned. He was stuck _without_ a wand. Could this get any worse?

Tony's frustration was evident on his face, when Harry didn't say anything more. "Harry, there are a lot of things that don't add up with you. First, you never asked how you got here from Britain. A normal person would ask that, but you never did. You weren't that traumatized when you were last here, so I'm guessing you weren't too overwhelmed to ask and knew how you got here. If what I think you can do is right, then I'm a little disappointed. Something didn't work the way I thought it did."

Harry stared at Tony. Everything he said was true. Harry never asked Tony how he had gotten here. He had no idea what Tony was disappointed about though.

"Second, when you filled out your hospital forms, you put down 1980 as birth year and 41 as your age. Now I'm pretty good with arithmetic – " Tony tossed an annoyed look at Bruce when the other man rolled his eyes. " – but you should probably tell me how you got 41 when you should be 32."

How did Tony get those forms? Harry's mind supplied the answer: Tony owned the hospital. Getting back on topic, Harry didn't understand what the problem was with his age. "What?"

Now Tony was annoyed with Harry. "2012 minus 1980."

"2012? You must be wrong; it's 2021."

"Yea, I noticed that. You filled out 2021 as the current date on the form. So, Harry, mind helping me solve this mystery? Especially since you look like a teenager."

Yes, Harry realized, this could and did get worse. He slapped a hand to his face to check and sure enough, all his glamours were gone. He was stuck with two muggles who knew too much and he couldn't do a thing about it. He didn't even want to try Disapparating out; especially with the disastrous results still fresh on his mind. And did he go back in time? He started looking around frantically.

Bruce tried to calm him down. "Harry, we're not trying to put you into a panic, but what Tony's been trying to get you to admit is that we know that you can teleport."

Harry tried to lie. "I don't know what you're talking – "

"Ok, now you're lying. Don't do that; you can't do it well," Tony interrupted.

Bruce continued after the interruption. "And we know that you can somehow resurrect yourself. We found you buried in a coffin, dead for several days. Also if what Tony told me is true, this is the second time you died."

"What?" Harry was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Tony stepped closer to Harry and crouched down to the same level. "The first time you got here, remember that? You weren't breathing for over ten minutes. I looked it up to make sure and asked Bruce here to be doubly certain. You shouldn't be alive, but you are."

He died coming here? When did that happen? Something in Harry finally clicked. "That's how you knew to dig me up."

"Yup, and you gotta be thankful that the guy who buried you was lazy about it. It wasn't the full six feet I was expecting."

Harry wasn't sure how to comment on that, so he kept silent. He looked at his hands and tried to let the fact that he had died twice settle into his head. He had died _twice_ on the same day. He felt this truth in his bones even though he couldn't explain how he knew. His mind was still trying to wrap around all the revelations, but one thought kept creeping back in: the Deathly Hallows. Was this a side effect of being a Master of Death? He didn't think he had the title anymore since he had broken the Elder Wand. Argh, just stop. He just didn't want to think about that anymore. It had been a constant plague in his mind for the past two decades. Instead of getting more answers, he just got more questions.

Things still weren't making sense to him though. "You guys don't sound so surprised about all this."

"Oh you should have seen Bruce's face when you said _sod off_." Tony tried to imitate a British accent.

Harry winced at the attempt. "I don't remember saying that."

Tony snorted. "Yea well you fainted right after that."

"I don't faint," was the automatic reply.

"You fainted. And then we had to drag you out while Bruce was complaining about how this could be mistaken for kidnapping." Tony turned to Bruce. "Honestly, Bruce, would you have preferred we leave him there?" Tony then turned to Harry. "Would you have preferred that, Harry?"

"Err… I'm going to say no, so thank you," Harry answered.

"Anyway, you're not the only special person Harry. That's why we're not freaking out right now. Not that I would anyway."

"What do you mean?" Harry didn't ever remember any witches or wizards being exposed before – well like this.

"We already know someone who can teleport," Tony explained.

Harry was stunned. Someone who can Apparate, known to muggles? He would have known about this. A small suspicion started growing in his mind. Did the sphinx drop him in a different world? That sounded too ridiculous.

Tony continued on without realizing how many bombshells he had dropped on Harry already. "We also know of someone who is also supposed to be dead, but then we unfroze him and now he's going on dates with a ninety-something year old woman." Tony smirked when Harry adopted a gobsmacked expression. "Tell you later."

Tony decided to sit on the couch next to the one Harry had been lying on. His feet were getting tired. "Oh about that guy who can teleport, he and his brother are a thousand years old. So yea, you're not the only one who looks young … if you're being honest about your age. In fact, your age is an easier concept to accept than theirs."

Harry's mind was about to go on a meltdown. A thousand years old? How had muggles gotten so far? "How is this possible?"

"You should ask them. As for the teleportation bit, I've been working on that myself. I thought I had pulled you here, but now I'm not so sure."

"I can Apparate … or teleport, yes." Harry admitted it slowly; he was still waiting for a group of Aurors to show up. "But I don't think I sent myself here. I don't think I'm from _here_ though."

"I figured. You don't match any records and believe me, I can hack into pretty much any database. You don't exist here, which makes me lean on the alternate universe idea. We are living in a multi-verse after all and the wormholes are theoretically capable of connecting different universes." Tony paused to think about something else. "Hmm, I was successful at creating the wormhole, but I didn't pull anything through, which means _you_ were sent through."

Harry was surprised at how much Tony noticed. Thinking this could still be all a dream, Harry nodded. "I was sent here … through a Gate."

Tony narrowed his eyes in thought. "Something tells me that the gate you're talking about is capitalized."

Harry blinked and couldn't help but be impressed by how sharp Tony was. "Err – yes. I fell through one and here I am."

Tony looked at Harry before nodding, satisfied that Harry had stopped lying. "I should ask you more about that later." Tony then set his glass on the table and looked at Harry fully. He said the next part with pride. "Also, I can track your teleportation."

Harry blinked again.

Bruce decided to stop being a wallflower. "Tony and I were part of a research collaboration which focused on the technology behind the Bifrost; we studied instantaneous travel. While working on it, Tony discovered that there's an electromagnetic pattern a person gives off at the teleport sites. We know of two methods: one is local and the other one is long distance. We call the one you seem to be capable of doing as local. The longer one is reserved for the Bifrost - interstellar travel."

"Interstellar?" Harry knew what the word meant, but he couldn't believe his ears.

"Traveling among the stars to another point in the galaxy," Bruce clarified.

"This isn't – this isn't possible – at least where I'm from." Harry got up from the floor to sit back on the couch. Bruce took the seat next to him.

"Are you agreeing with the idea that this isn't your universe?" Tony asked. Harry could tell that Tony was getting excited by the idea. "Unless you're from the future where people can teleport at will."

"I don't know what to think. I still think that this is all some illusion or dream. I'm still not convinced of the year. You're not tricking me on that right?" Harry kept the fact that he was a wizard and capable of doing more than what they had seen, a secret. He rubbed his arm and was reminded that he was wand-less. He needed to track it down somehow, if it was still intact. He shook his head to clear it. "I need to make sure. I need to find the others."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome to look, but if they can do what you can, then we would have noticed. How do you think I knew where to look for you? You teleported up in the air. Now that I think about it, I would have found out anyway. Congratulations, you were famous for about a day as the un-explainable suicide case."

Harry cringed at the last part. He then realized that what Tony had said before that was true. Every adult witch and wizard knew how to Apparate and if Tony could track them all, he would have found the magical community by now. Was he the only wizard then? Harry pushed those thoughts away for now. "That still doesn't make sense to me. I was falling, and then I don't remember anything else. How did I die the second time?"

"Oh yea, thanks for reminding me, how did you slow down your descent?"

"Excuse me?"

"Based on acceleration from gravity and the current velocity you were going at a given height, you should have landed with a much higher momentum."

Harry wasn't sure where Tony was going with this. "And?"

Now it was Tony's turn to be confused. "Harry, were you never taught mechanical physics?"

"Umm… no?" The closest Hogwarts' education offered on that was Arithmancy, which Harry thought was not close at all.

Tony rubbed his face. "You should have landed with a much higher velocity. You either slowed down somehow or you teleported again, but this time closer to the ground."

"Merlin! You're right."

Tony smirked. "Funny how you say _Merlin_. But am I right? You teleported again?"

"Yes, but I had intended to be safe on the ground, not _die_."

Tony laughed out loud. "Well there's your problem. You teleported to the ground alright, but you still have that inertia – what I mean is, you didn't stop."

Tony watched as Harry, with a horrified face, realized what it all meant. Harry never thought he would get a crash course in physics like this – a literal _crash_ course.

Harry felt like he was back in Tony's car. His mind had been pushed, shoved around, slammed still, and tossed up in the air over the span of about half an hour. How the hell did he get into these situations?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware of Aresto Momentum, but from the books, I remember the spell being applied to someone else, not to yourself. In the movies, you can cast it on yourself, but not effectively to break your fall.


	4. Coulson's Easy Assignment

Bruce was growing increasingly irritated at Tony. He had stayed more or less silent through the entire exchange between the two, but now he needed a private word with Tony.

"Tony, I need to talk to you," Bruce whispered.

Tony picked up his glass and got off the couch. "You imitate Pepper very well, you know that?"

Bruce ignored his question, stood up and gestured to the basement. He looked to Harry who was still lost in his own thoughts. "Harry, are you going to be ok for a while?"

"Umm – yea." Harry didn't bother looking up.

Giving one more worried glance back, Bruce ushered Tony downstairs. When he was certain that they were out of earshot, Bruce gave a stern look before launching on what Tony had done wrong.

"Tony, you can't keep bombarding him with information like that. You didn't see his face every time you opened your mouth did you?"

Tony had an indignant look on his face. "I did see. He looked like he was following – a little slow."

"Tony, _think_ about it. Look what has happened to him in the course of several days. He's not where he's supposed to be, in a strange place, _died_ twice, been dead for most of that time, uncontrollable teleportation, and you as company. I stress the last point."

Tony scowled at Bruce's jab about his bedside manner. Bruce continued, "You didn't give him enough time to process anything before you asked another question or pushed him for answers. Don't think I didn't notice."

Tony admitted to himself that he had been impatient. He had treated Harry as a curiosity and not a person who had gone through several mind-blowing events back to back. Tony did have a reason for pushing so hard though; Harry looked like the type that would clam up. He had wanted to get the answers before that happened.

"I can already tell that he's not like you, Tony. You follow trouble. He stays away from it – unsuccessfully. So you need to back off a little and give him some breathing space."

Tony sighed and agreed. "Fine, breathing space."

Satisfied, Bruce nodded and looked towards the stairs. "Alright, so now, we'll go back up to him and discuss what's next. And _this_ time, I'll do the talking."

Bruce followed Tony back up but then stopped abruptly when Tony tensed at the top of the stairs. Bruce traced his line of sight: Harry had disappeared.

"JARVIS, find Harry," Tony ordered.

"Yes sir. He teleported from the premises. Exit point 500 meters, east beach area."

Tony crossed his arms and glanced back at Bruce. "Well Bruce, breathing space it is."

* * *

Harry was relieved that Bruce and Tony had left the room. He had trouble concentrating, and having the other two around were not helping. He closed his eyes and thought back to the beginning of all this trouble: the Veil. He hadn't forgotten how it had crumbled in his hands. Harry had not had time to think clearly ever since he had fallen through it though. His mind was disorganized and he had treated everything that had happened to him like it was a strange dream. But now … now he needed to think.

He pulled his mind together and fell back into the habits he had developed for the last several years as an Unspeakable. Don't take anything at face value and find out the truth yourself. He knew these lessons even before joining the Department, but they had grown to a new level after so many years in magical research.

Harry looked around at the house. He was in the company of two men he did not trust. They could be telling him an elaborate story for all he knew. So he would have to remove himself from this equation. But first things first, he needed to find out if his Apparation worked. It was very important now since it was one of the few things he could do without a wand.

Harry looked across the room and popped away. He stumbled a bit but found that he had successfully moved to the other side of the room. He did it several more times. Good, Apparation still worked but had a bit of a punch now. Harry thought back to the time when he tried to Apparate to the American Ministry. If the Gate had dropped him in another world, this would make sense why his first attempt at it would fail. His destination didn't exist here. Harry winced at the stupidity behind Apparating a second time. He was successful in a way since he had wanted to be on the ground right below, but in his panic he had not considered the fact that he was still moving and that Apparation would keep that motion. Harry had never Apparated while going at such speeds – always standing or walking - and he had incorrectly assumed that he would land safely and standing on the ground. Harry sighed. He had made a fatal choice, but uniquely not a permanently fatal one.

Harry played back the conversation in the house. Thinking back on how Tony described inertia, Harry may not have known the definition, but he had long ago understood the concept: you keep falling. Still, Harry's assumption – or was it hope? – that the second Apparation would be a safe one had been so strong that he couldn't comprehend at first why it failed the way it did. Harry still thought he should have realized sooner what the man had been saying.

Harry Apparated to the beach area below the house – to an area he had seen while he had been in Tony's car. This would test his Apparation farther and Tony's claim about how he could track his movements. Pleased at being greeted by the salty air and the soft imprints his shoes made on the sand, Harry compiled a list of things he needed to do.

Find his wand.

Find out if this is a different world.

Find other witches and wizards if there were any.

Find out about his _deaths_. He felt this was true somehow, but he wasn't satisfied with just a feeling and needed more proof.

Find a way to get back.

So many things to _find_.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a motor. He turned around as a single beam of light from the motorcycle made its way to him. It was Bruce. The motorcycle stopped at the edge of the cement walkway.

"Mr. Banner was it?" Harry greeted when the engine was turned off.

"You can call me Bruce." Bruce took off his helmet but stayed on the motorcycle and didn't approach him. Harry guessed the motorcycle was Tony's; he didn't think the gold and red matched Bruce's personality that well.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

Bruce shrugged. "I don't know how hospitable Tony has been, but you're welcome."

Harry glanced back to the house on the cliff. "I see Stark's claim was true about being able to track me."

Bruce nodded and looked between Harry and the house. "Seems like you got your bearings. Anyway, I convinced Tony to let me talk to you. He can be pushy."

Harry didn't argue with that.

They both stayed silent until a minute later when Bruce asked him a question, "What will you do now?"

Harry did not answer and instead asked, "Will you follow my every step?"

Bruce sighed, "I won't and I'll try to keep Tony from doing it, but what are you going to do now? I'm not asking to butt into your business, but from where I'm standing you don't look like you have anywhere to go."

Harry just went straight to the heart of the problem. "I still don't trust you two."

Bruce paused and then smiled in agreement. "If I was in your shoes, I don't know if I would trust us either. Well at least I know Tony wouldn't push _me_ if I was going through what you did."

Harry shared the smile even though he wasn't sure what Bruce meant about the last part. "Then I guess you wouldn't be surprised if I didn't stay."

"No I wouldn't be." Bruce's eyes flicked over to the house again. "Tony's not here, but I think he wouldn't mind if I extended an invitation to his house if you decide to come back."

A small part of Harry secretly enjoyed the invitation. "Thank you for the offer."

Right before Harry left, Bruce added, "Tony's going to be upset he didn't get as many answers as he wanted from you."

Harry smiled, shrugged, and Disapparated.

* * *

Agent Phil Coulson stepped out of his black car and straightened his suit. He frowned at the wrinkles on his jacket caused by sitting in the car for two hours. He was back on full-time active duty; he had completely healed from the injury to his back many months before but not completely "healed" from Fury's betrayal. Coulson still sported a slight grudge on Fury for painting his Captain America cards with red food coloring. Funny how he was more upset at the Director than Loki who started it all. At least he got replacements which he now kept inside a safety deposit box instead of back at headquarters.

He opened the trunk of his car and picked up a black canvas bag before leaving the parking deck. He had been given some easy assignments lately because Fury thought he needed a break. Coulson didn't think he needed it, but he was paid on salary, so easy assignments from time to time weren't a bad thing.

Coulson had waited until nightfall before starting on this latest order. He had been assigned this morning to a peculiar case that SHIELD had opened but then closed on the same day. He recalled it had something to do with a suicide with strange circumstances, but since the autopsy reports had indicated nothing special about the deceased, Fury had decided it would be a mystery left for normal law enforcement. The case was opened again this morning when the grave of John Doe 4134 was found inexplicably empty. The coffin was still there and so were the shovels, but nothing else was found. There were shoe prints but none of the people employed there matched the shoe sizes.

Coulson had checked the grave site earlier in the day and then went by the city morgue to see if he could find out any more information. Apparently someone had thought the body was important and had exhumed it right after it was buried. With no other leads, Coulson went straight to the site where the body was first found. Maybe he'd find something there, if not, he could easily see how this case would get cold soon. It wasn't a high priority after all.

Coulson walked under the yellow tape and the no trespassing sign. He opened his bag, pulled out some long thin glass bottles and some sterile cotton swabs. He had collected samples from the morgue and also from the cemetery, but he wanted to get some more from the accident site. Unfortunately it had rained recently and he knew that there was very little, if any, evidence to find.

* * *

Harry looked up at the night sky and remembered the last time he was at this part of the city. He had Apparated up there and fell around here. It was the best place to start looking for his wand. Tony did say that it wasn't buried with him and it was the last place Harry remembered before he woke up in Tony's house again.

Harry still held the hope that he wasn't the only wizard, but considering Tony's ability to track Apparition and the fact that no Aurors had shown up for his disregard of the Statute, that hope was dwindling. He thought about the easiest way to check: calling Hermione. She kept a land line in her house. He considered calling from Tony's house, but if Tony was lying about all this, then Harry needed to call from somewhere else. It wasn't as easy as it sounded. He had no change and asking strangers for their cell phones was tricky; unfortunately and understandably, people didn't like lending out their phones to others making international calls. Which is why Harry needed to find his wand first.

It was because of this Harry decided on a calculated risk. He would search for his wand with Lumos. If it was around here, the light from the wand should be visible. If this somehow attracted the attention of muggles, he could easily fib about it being a compact flashlight. If Aurors showed up, then he'd rather deal with them than continue to think that no one magical was around.

Harry Apparated to the rooftop of a three-story brick building and thought this was a good vantage point to look over the entire area.

" _Lumos._ "

He walked around the entire edge of the roof, peering down. Nothing. He held off his disappointment to consider the lighting around the building. Even if his wand was glowing, he wouldn't be able to see it well in the middle of all the background light. He took a chance.

" _Lumos Maximus._ "

He saw its familiar glow from the corner of his eye and it warmed him as he turned to face it. It was quite a distance from where he fell; the wand may have bounced and rolled off or rained and flushed down there. Something was strange about it though. He blinked several times at the intensity of the light; it wasn't supposed to be this bright. Odd, He didn't think he had put in that much power. He popped over to another rooftop to get closer.

A movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to a man in a fitted suit walking towards his wand. The man must have been curious about the bright light and decided to look into it, Harry thought.

Quickly, he extinguished it. " _Nox."_

Harry ducked a little lower and watched as the man paused at the abrupt disappearance of the light but did not give up at searching for the source.

"Merlin, of course a muggle had to come around and see the wand," Harry whispered to himself. How to get the man away? He didn't want to pop in and grab the wand. An Obliviation just seemed wrong to do – to anyone.

Harry Apparated back to the ground, out of the man's line of sight, and in the shadows. He saw a fire hydrant a distance away and got an idea – a naughty one but effective. He cupped his hands close to his mouth to help broadcast his voice and hollered.

"Help! Fire! FIRE! Someone help! FIRE!"

Harry waited for a tense few seconds but then heard the jog of the approaching man. _Oh thank Merlin_. Relieved the man fell for his trick, Harry Apparated to the area where his wand was. He searched the ground for the familiar wooden stick along the walls. It was hard to see but he didn't want to light it again in case it would bring that man again. There! Harry grabbed his Holly wand and felt a piece of _home_ return. With his heart beating loudly, Harry thought that this crazy misadventure was all going to end. One quick spell and he would be on his way back home. One quick spell that would answer so many questions. His own modified version of the _Four Point Spell_.

" _Point Me Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."_

His wand spun lazily at first but then lost that grace and gained an erratic behavior. It wasn't spinning in a circle anymore but all 360 degrees as if it was getting frustrated and angry at its own failure. Harry thought about trying a control: something that he knew would work.

" _Point Me Bruce Banner."_

The wand was quick to point in the direction of Tony's house. Harry didn't want to consider the implication. Harry swallowed and desperately grasped at another destination.

" _Point Me British Ministry of Magic."_

His wand stopped and spun lazily again, but quickly returned to the chaotic pointing. Perhaps somewhere closer?

" _Point Me U.S. Ministry of Magic_."

Harry's mind was past desperation at this point.

He choked out, " _Point Me Ron Weasley."_

Harry watched as the wand repeated the same behavior.

He cried out softly, " _Point Me Hermione Granger_." He had fallen back to her maiden name.

The wand spun and then pointed in a northeast direction. Harry stopped breathing and held his wand hand still – afraid any movement would ruin the spell and cause the wand to point aimlessly again. When the wand kept its position, he laughed quietly in extreme relief. Finally something familiar!

The moment was ruined by a voice when Harry failed to hear the footsteps behind him - so absorbed in the slew of emotions the _Four-Point_ spells had caused.

"Clever of you to scream out _fire_."

Harry whipped around with the wand in his hand.

Several things happened in rapid sequence. The man drew out his gun and fired twice. Harry heard the sound of the first bullet leave the gun and thought immediately _Protego._ The word hadn't even left his lips before he heard a _crack_ and then a _ping_.

Harry saw the air in front of him waver as if he had cast the spell. The effect stopped when he lost his concentration and was consumed by shock. Was that real? Harry looked down to his hand and got another surprise: his wand was reduced to a six inch stump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People are more likely to respond to shouts of "Fire" than just plain "Help."  
> About the Apparition thing, I know it seems common sense but Apparition in motion was something I don't remember the movie or book-verse addressing.


	5. Tracking Harry

Harry was torn between two extremes: the combination of despair and anger from his broken wand and the elation that his _Protego_ had been wandless and nonverbal. The first bullet had broken his wand but the second one was deflected by the shield. Accidental Magic? Possible, he was certainly under duress. He felt there was something else happening; his magic had been acting odd ever since he arrived to this world. Harry didn't have more time to think about it all as the man in front of him took advantage of the silence - to apologize.

"Sorry about that. I thought you were holding a gun."

Harry inspected the man who wasn't as surprised to see magic as Harry thought a muggle should be. The muggle was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, had short dark hair, and sported a smile that put Harry on edge. The gun was still in his hands but thankfully aimed away. Harry didn't dare Disapparate out; he had been taught a difficult lesson by Bellatrix's knife when it had been thrown through the Apparition point and still fatally stabbed Dobby. He didn't think he'd have more luck with bullets which traveled faster.

"If you don't mind, I am going to _slowly_ retrieve the piece you _broke_ off," Harry suggested as he carefully stepped back with both his hands in the air.

"I'm sorry. I can't let you do that. I haven't decided if you're a threat or not."

Harry scoffed. "Threat? You're the one with the gun."

"And that shield?"

"Defensive. Can't say the same for your gun."

"I'll holster this, if you'll stay and chat."

"It's a start." Harry watched as the man placed the gun back somewhere underneath the jacket. Harry, encouraged by the _Protego_ , had been trying to perform a silent Confundus Charm throughout the entire exchange. It wasn't working without his wand. Perhaps something simpler? Harry thought back all the way to his first year at Hogwarts.

The man introduced himself when it didn't look like Harry was going to go first. "I'm an investigator working on a case. And you are?"

 _Wingardium Leviosa_. Harry even remembered Hermione's succinct pronunciation of the "o" in the incantation. Busy trying to do a simple Levitation charm on an empty soda can behind the man, Harry still noticed that no name was given. "An unlucky passerby."

 _Just need a small distraction_. The red can wobbled side to side soundlessly.

Unfortunately, the man mistook Harry's concentrated face as one for aggression. By instinct, Harry Apparated back a few meters as the man moved forward to kick in the area where his legs had been. Alarmed, Harry watched him straighten and pull out his gun again.

_Protego._

The shield shimmered into view again when Harry called. Remembering that it had collapsed when his concentration fell, he fought hard to focus on it. A smile appeared on his face when the shield held.

The man lowered the gun. "You can teleport too."

Harry didn't have anything to say to that but he did think of Tony and whether the two knew each other. Not only was this man not surprised by his shield, but he knew about instantaneous travel too.

The man turned his head quickly to glance behind him and asked what Harry thought was a strange question, "You don't duplicate yourself right?"

Harry's confused expression gave the answer.

"I think we're getting off on the wrong foot," the man sighed and tried to explain again.

"More your foot than mine, if you recall." Harry knew that move was meant to be a mean kick.

"I can't convince you to come with me now, can I?"

As he retreated by taking several steps backwards, Harry tossed the man a disbelieving look through the shield. "I'd have to be barmy to go with you."

"Don't take another step back." The man followed his warning by redirecting his gun away from the shield. Harry followed where the gun was aiming and realized that the bullets had a chance of ricocheting off the steel siding of the building to go around his magical bullet buffer. He only saw it in movies but this man looked like he could do it.

Harry dropped his shield when he heard some sirens and the flashes of blue light. The gunshots must have alerted the law enforcement. With no ID, Harry didn't think they'd just let him go.

Harry's gaze settled on the muggle again. This man wasn't going to let him walk away and Harry couldn't Apparate to a safe place with the gun still out. Harry couldn't try another Levitation attempt as a distraction; the last time the man had attacked him for it. How to disarm him then? Harry thought back to his teenage signature spell but he quickly crossed it out. _Expelliarmus_ usually had a colored light and that would alert the man. Judging from his earlier responses, Harry thought this stranger would fire first as a reflex. He needed something quiet and invisible. He had tried using this particular spell many times before when he had dropped his wand so many years ago, but they had all failed. With a measure of hope and some desperation, Harry stared at the gun and focused on one thought:

_Accio gun!_

The gun jerked forward then pulled free of the man's grip. Harry's heart soared at the success but he frowned when he realized he had Summoned more than one object. Four other guns hidden on the man also flew out towards Harry. _Blimey_! He dodged them before they could pelt him in the face and seeing his chance, Harry Disapparated out.

* * *

Harry watched from the rooftops again. He made sure to stay low and in the shadows as his eyes followed the stranger with the _five_ guns. The muggle must have been some kind of law enforcement because he had opened his wallet and presented a badge to the police officers who had shown up only moments after Harry had left. The man was soon left alone to pick up all his pistols from the ground and to make a phone call on his cell. Harry couldn't hear the conversation from so far unfortunately.

Harry anxiously saw the muggle picking up the second half of the Holly wand and put it into a plastic bag as well as some other tiny objects. Harry thought a Switching spell could work but with the top half of his wand tucked somewhere in the man's jacket, that was now impossible. The muggle continued obliviously with his work: taking out a pair of tweezers and some glass containers from the inside of his jacket to pluck objects too small for Harry to see.

Harry decided that he would follow this unusual muggle. This investigator didn't sound too surprised to discover a wizard after all. Maybe there were other people like Harry here, even if there was no Hogwarts.

Harry was also curious about the _Point Me_ spell he had used to locate Hermione. If this was truly another world – and he had finally settled on the fact that this was an entirely different world - she couldn't be the same one. As much as he wanted to find out about her here, he knew that they would just be strangers to each other. Even if this Hermione was magical, she was probably over the Atlantic Ocean instead of on this side. Besides, he didn't have time to meet anyone new here; he needed to find a way to get back – possibly find another Veil.

He could try Stark and his machine again but Harry would rather look for other magical folk who might be able to help; he wanted a magical solution because it was more familiar than what Stark represented. Harry wasn't foolish enough to think that muggle science was useless, but his understanding of it was of a ten year old. His formal education was dramatically switched to a magical one at eleven with Hagrid's entrance.

With one eye still on the muggle, Harry reached into his pocket to take out the lower half of his wand. He winced when his fingers rubbed the inside of his pocket. With the adrenaline now draining from his system, Harry noticed that the first bullet fired had grazed one of his fingers. Wanting to test out another spell, he decided on a simple cleaning spell.

 _Tergeo_.

The blood on his finger vanished. The usage of his magic seemed simpler now. Emboldened, Harry tried a healing spell he had used often.

_Episkey._

Nothing happened. Harry frowned and tried again. He gave up attempting nonverbally.

" _Episkey_."

This time he pushed more effort and the wound started to close. Harry became alarmed when the spell didn't stop and continued to grow new skin. There was now an entire patch where his finger was tender and pink. This had never happened before. The spell wasn't any more complex than _Tergeo_ and he had never heard of the spell going past fixing wounds to replacing the normally dead outer layer of the skin with the fresh one below. It prickled with pain when he tried to bend his finger.

His thoughts were pushed askew when he saw the suited man gathering everything into a neat black bag. Harry needed to steal that somehow.

* * *

"Tony."

Tony scrambled to wave the screens away as he turned around in his office chair. "What's up Bruce?"

Bruce was right behind him – his silent steps down to the basement completely catching Tony by surprise. "I thought you were giving Harry breathing space."

"I am," Tony insisted. "I haven't asked JARVIS to locate any teleport points. Right, JARVIS?"

"Yes sir."

Bruce recognized JARVIS's slightly sardonic tone. Ever since Tony upgraded his virtual butler and his Malibu house after Fury had somehow snuck in, JARVIS had gained a more playful edge. Bruce was sure Tony was fuming at the AI right now for failing to inform him of someone entering the basement. Bruce had noticed this quality ever since Tony and he had been on that research collaboration on Asgardian interstellar teleportation. Even though Bruce thought it was the strangest research group he had ever been in, he had enjoyed being with Tony and the other two members. He should get in touch with the two again … as soon as he finished this Harry business.

"I saw the screens."

Tony lied like a child with his hand in the cookie jar. "It was some artwork in the style of Van Doesburg."

Bruce was actually impressed with the lie. Pepper's fondness of modern art must have rubbed off. "And what piece details the streets of Los Angeles?"

"Umm – "

"How are you tracking him now?" Bruce sighed. "Wait – wait, don't tell me. His glasses: the one thing from _you_."

"Well, he needed a new pair. I did him a favor with all the options I had ordered." Tony started ticking off his fingers. "Scratch-resistant, UV proof, flexible wire frame –" Tony added one more addition when he looked up at Bruce's less than patient face. " – and a GPS tracker."

Setting aside his disappointment in Tony's broken promise, Bruce asked for curiosity's sake. "How is that working? Teleportation usually causes such an electromagnetic storm locally – and you had indicated that he normally has a strange field around him anyway."

Happy to get Bruce the physicist instead, Tony started explaining his latest problem. "I haven't figured his out completely. Those glasses are supposed to be EM field proof – at least the one he was giving off the first time he landed here. But, JARVIS told me that he teleported several times in the house. I have additional readings from that but they're slightly different now. So the tracker is working on and off."

"You think he figured it out?"

Tony had a doubtful look. "I don't think so, but there's another problem. The signals going on and off, but even when it's off, the tracker's sometime still on. I can request for his locations during some of these _blackouts_."

Bruce thought for a moment before responding, "Something's blocking the signal then. Was this present even when he was first here?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope, he was like a constant before. JARVIS noted this variance in the field while Harry was teleporting upstairs too."

"So during these off periods, you're not getting live coordinates. There's a lag time – what was the longest?"

Tony swiveled around on his chair to pull one particular screen that he had reduced in size. He enlarged it and showed Bruce the frequency and duration of the blackouts. "Don't mind the gaps in the graph – those are when the tracker is actually off."

Bruce studied it quickly and noticed an immediate pattern. "You had it set to a logarithmic scale to show this – but this is incredible. These _blackouts_ you keep calling them – they're coming more often and lasting for longer periods of time."

Tony took a long inhale. Bruce rolled his eyes; he could tell Tony felt like he was losing a game.

"At this rate, he'll soon be _untraceable_ to JARVIS," Tony gloomily admitted.

"You know, this sounds like –"

"Something Loki can do. Yea I thought of that."

"Hmm … possibly another 11th dimension user. He doesn't look and sound like he's from Asgard though."

"Actually I didn't mention this to you before, but I'm now sure that he's from an alternate universe."

Bruce blinked. "You had to grab someone from another universe?"

"Well technically since this is a multiverse, assuming equal probability, the odds were I was going to pull someone not from ours. Considering that he is all ok here, that means that the laws of physics over there are probably the same." Tony paused and remembered something. "And I didn't pull him through, he was shoved through – not by me."

"Still, you just had to play with the local teleportation thing didn't you? Our work on rebuilding the Bifrost's interstellar travel simply wasn't enough."

Tony grinned because he knew it was a rhetorical question in his case. "Oh right, another thing about Harry's universe - I still don't know if people there age well or if he's lying about his birthdate and present year, but well, at least I learned something new. I'm a movie star and according to Harry, I play Sherlock Holmes."

Bruce could almost imagine Tony preening and bluntly replied, "I'm not your Watson."

"Of course not, with your personality and the jolly Green Giant you have in your pocket. But! This is a sign that I should go ahead with that Avengers movie I was telling Fury about. It'd be great publicity for us."

Bruce firmly shook his head _no_.

Tony wasn't going to stop. "And I can play as myself!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The number 11 for the dimensions is not arbitrary as it is an actual hypothesized number for this variable in the M-Theory.


	6. Something about the Loo

Coulson pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and dialed a familiar number as he picked up his pistols from the ground. The phone was picked up on the third ring.

Coulson cleared his throat. "Honey, I think I'm going to be late for dinner tonight."

A laugh was heard on the other side. "Oh sweety, that's ok. I'm embarrassed actually; I hadn't even started yet. What do you think about chicken tonight?"

Coulson took a moment to think about it. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd really like that Zharennyi Porosenok dish we had when we visited your folks."

Another ring of laughter. "Sweety, you've been practicing your Russian. It sounds better, but stop teasing - only my mother makes that anymore. I'll just see about roast pork instead."

"Thanks, honey."

"I'll see you when you get home. Drive safely."

Coulson hung up and continued with his work. He picked up what he thought was a broken piece of polished wood. He placed it in a Ziploc bag. His stance looked relaxed, but he was on high alert in case that teleporter returned.

It had been a while since he planned his last ambush.

* * *

Natasha easily lifted a cardboard box filled with aging folders. SHIELD like any bureaucracy was still lagging in its transition from paper to digital. The amount of paperwork the organization had accumulated over the decades could fill several libraries. Most of the sensitive files had already been entered into their central database, but Fury suspected there might still be some left among the less important ones.

The paper in the files had already yellowed with age and some had crumbled when Natasha had tried to read through some of them. This particular archive had not been updated in almost forty years and contained information from the second half of the nineteenth to the first half of the twentieth century. Most of the people listed in here had already passed away.

Natasha placed the box in a pile with some others. She picked up an empty box and walked back to the dusty shelves. She carefully pulled out thick folders and sorted them into the empty box. She was about to grab another folder when her eyes read the name.

_Natalia Alianovna Romanova_

Natasha angrily pulled it off the shelf and tossed it into the box. Dust unsettled and clouded the area as she kept her eyes away from her own folder. She knew why Fury had given her this job but she still regretted accepting it. She did not want to be reminded of her earlier history.

Natasha filled another two boxes before something penetrated the silence. She waited until the third ring before accepting the call.

"Honey, I think I'm going to be late for dinner tonight."

Natasha immediately recognized Coulson's voice and the hidden message. He had encountered something he couldn't handle by himself. She snapped into the role of a doting wife and laughed.

"Oh sweety, that's ok. I'm embarrassed actually; I hadn't even started yet. What do you think about chicken tonight?" Chicken was the lowest level of response.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd really like that Zharennyi Porosenok dish we had when we visited your folks." Natasha raised an eyebrow as she heard his request. It was the name of a traditional Russian dish but to her, it was code for someone non-hostile with a particular set of supernatural abilities. Visiting her folks meant that he was coming this way with their guest possibly following along.

She smiled at the chance of some action and laughed again. "Sweety, you've been practicing your Russian. It sounds better, but stop teasing - only my mother makes that dish anymore. I'll just see about roast pork instead."

"Thanks, honey."

Natasha left the dusty room and ambled through a newer section of the underground facility to prepare. "I'll see you when you get home. Drive safely."

Natasha ended the conversation and dialed Fury. She was going to enjoy his reaction. He picked up before the first ring finished.

"Tell me this is good news."

"Coulson just found a jumper."

Fury sighed over the phone. " _Another_ one?"

Natasha smirked; she knew Fury was already swamped with problems. "Telekinetic too."

"Just keeps getting better," he said to himself. To Natasha, he asked seriously, "Can you two handle it?"

"Coulson said non-hostile, but we'll be careful. Just reporting in that we're using the abandoned Archives facility in LA."

"Fine, just keep it quiet. I'm running out of cover stories because of Stark."

"Will do," Natasha promised.

* * *

Harry had lost count how many times he had Apparated tonight. He was thankful that it was night time, otherwise he didn't know if he could have Apparated from rooftop to rooftop without getting noticed. He belatedly wondered why he even cared if anyone saw – his bad luck was going to make sure something went wrong anyway.

Harry had followed the investigator to a weathered two-story brick building in a run-down part of the city. It looked like a used book store on the ground floor with the top floor serving as an artist's atelier. He didn't see any lights through the windows of the second floor and assumed that the investigator was still on the ground floor. Maybe the muggle was the bookstore owner and did private investigations on the side? _Fat chance._ Harry reminded himself not to underestimate the muggle. The man had carried himself with a professional air and did not look surprised when faced with Harry's abilities.

Harry spent the next hour getting food for himself while at the same time debating how he should sneak into the building. He couldn't remember the last time he had drank or eaten anything and his stomach was protesting wildly as a result. Still with no money, he couldn't simply buy something from the convenience store on the corner. He also didn't know enough about U.S. currency to transfigure a believable forgery.

Harry eyed the convenience store from across the street. He hadn't had time to try the Switching Spell before, but he would now. While he normally found the food inside the store distasteful, they were looking positively delicious by now. His food selection was limited to what he could see through the window and that included bottled drinks and some packaged food. Picking only the foods with the clear packaging, he ended up choosing Twinkies and some bottled tea. It took a couple of attempts Switching them with some pieces of trash but he was successful eventually. He hoped the clerk inside wouldn't get in too much trouble for his pilfering. Harry twisted the cap open, took a big gulp, and almost spit it out.

"Ugh… Merlin, this is what they call a cuppa?"

Harry figured it was his fault for picking it in the first place. The horrid taste must have been a result of it being bottled. He forced himself to drink all of it and to eat all of the overly sweet pastry. He didn't want to feel any guiltier by wasting what he stole.

Harry Apparated back up to the rooftop of the bookstore. The muggle's car was still there and the lights in the bookstore had gone out; Harry wasn't sure if he should wait for the man to leave or not. If that investigator lived inside the building, then maybe sneaking in while he was sleeping wouldn't be so bad. A voice in his mind reminded him about the muggle's five guns and fast reflexes. That just wasn't normal.

Harry sighed as he thought about the last time he had gone sneaking around: almost twenty years ago with the help of his father's Invisibility Cloak – a cloak he didn't have. _Bloody Hell!_ He was a researcher, not a super-secret agent from MI-6. The only thing going for him now was his tentative grasp of wandless magic.

He was more than happy and awed he was still functional as a wizard without his wand, but he was limited to simple spells. He didn't know if more complex ones would be easier with practice, but he didn't want to take that chance. He was rationalizing his choice to retrieve the top half of his wand; it was a mixture of some hope that it could eventually be fixed, thus restoring to him his full repertoire of spells and just plain sentimentality for his dear old Holly wand.

Due to the difficulty in casting Invisibility spells even with a wand, Harry didn't even bother. He tried some alternatives.

_Homenum Revelio_

Nothing happened. Harry growled as he tried again. He felt the spell start to take effect, then sputter and die. Impatient, he just said it.

" _Homenum Revelio."_

Harry felt his senses expand and then that feeling shrunk back. He was disappointed in its range. He tried again and he couldn't detect anything past two meters. Until he could expand and maintain it, the range was just too limited for comfort. He selected a charm normally used on places next.

_Repello Muggletum_

If he had his wand, he would just say the charm and be done with it. Without a wand, Harry had to carefully picture a transparent bubble with the appropriate muggle repelling properties. The image in his mind slipped and he had to start again. This spell was a little more difficult than the others he had tried. When the spell encased and centered on him, he exhaled loudly. He hadn't realized he had held his breath. Smiling from his success, he wiped off a bead of sweat that had trickled down his forehead.

Finally he tried a personal spell from Snape. _Here's to you, Professor_.

_Muffliato_

Harry fumbled with it the same way he had with the Repelling charm, but he grinned widely when he firmly attached it to his own body. The combination of these spells wasn't invisibility but he shouldn't be noticed by any nearby muggle now.

He peered below to find someone he could try the spells' effects on. There was a man on the curbside standing under the harsh street lights with a brown bag in his hands. Harry could make out the shape of a bottle inside the bag and the unstable way the man was carrying himself. _Alone and a drunkard, perfect._

Harry Apparated back to the ground and out of sight of the man. He stepped onto the sidewalk and strode towards the man.

"Excuse me?" Harry intentionally called out.

The man almost fell over trying to turn around. "Wha - ? Who said that?" was the intoxicated reply.

Harry stepped closer and the man cupped his ear and slurred out, "What's that buzzin' ? Damn, I'm already hearin' things – and I'm not even drunk yet."

Harry chuckled as he walked several more paces; he thought the man was past drunk. The man finally turned around and his eyes slid off Harry who stood only a meter away. "Aww… damn, gotta appointment with – Alcoholics Anonymous?"

 _What?_ The words were slurred too much for Harry to understand. Walking closer, Harry pinched his nose; he could smell the man's unwashed clothes and the alcohol on his breath. As the man was leaving, Harry tapped on the man's shoulder, waved his hands, and jumped around but there was no reaction from the boozer. It was like Harry didn't exist. In plain sight, Harry took the bottle and the man didn't even realize it. Harry was surprised at the effectiveness of the charm. This was certainly not the work of alcohol.

Harry was reminded again about how his magic was acting different; the bandages from _Ferula_ tightening too much, Apparition feeling like he was being pushed from behind, the _Accio_ pulling out all the handguns from the investigator, _Episkey_ being more potent, and now this all came to mind. Being magically stronger was a nice improvement, but Harry wondered what had brought the change and its possible cost. Good things in his life tend to sour later.

He'd think on this later; he had a wand to take back.

* * *

Natasha met Coulson at one of the entrances. He gave her a tight smile as he descended the final steps of the stairwell.

"Were you followed?" Natasha asked immediately.

"I don't know. The guy's a teleporter and telekinetic; he could be above us right now." Coulson vaguely pointed up. He placed the black bag on the ground and pulled out something in plastic. "He seemed very interested in this though. It was glowing – don't know how."

Natasha straightened a bit more as she took the baggie containing several inches of a broken wooden rod. It looked like an ordinary hollowed out piece of polished wood. As she inspected it, her mind was still on the task of capturing their guest. Surprise was the only way to take down this opponent then. She smiled as she pointed to something on her belt for Coulson to see. "You're lucky I'm in town."

He smiled back. "No, you just make this easier."

They moved quickly side by side through the hallway – passing by a particular archive room.

"How are you doing with the moving?" Coulson asked politely.

Natasha stretched and cracked her back as she replied, "Boring and plenty of boxes."

Coulson looked worriedly at her. "You know Fury asked you to do it because – "

Natasha disrupted Coulson's explanation. "I know why he did it. You trust old documents with old comrades."

Coulson gave up trying to ease her discomfort.

"Come, this building has an outdated security system but it should still serve our purposes," Natasha urged. "We'll know if he gets through any doorway."

"This place is still operational?"

"Yes and no. When I first came here, the original lights no longer worked, but the security was still intact," she explained. She lifted the baggie. "We can use this as bait."

"I agree on the bait part, but I need to talk to him first before _you_ do anything. I kept him in one location at gunpoint but I couldn't get any answers from him. He's going to be even more tight-lipped if you knock him out."

"Maybe some kind of delay on his teleporting." Natasha thought out loud before asking Coulson, "He's non-hostile even at gunpoint?"

Coulson nodded. "I read him enough; he's more confused than anything else."

Natasha frowned. "Inexperienced? You think he just found out about his abilities?"

Uncertainty passed across his face. "He did look surprised, but not as much as he should."

"Fine, talk first," she agreed, "but if he becomes disagreeable, then it's my turn."

* * *

Harry looked around to make sure no one was behind him. He didn't see any cameras and decided it was safe to walk around to the back of the building. He pressed his ear close to the backdoor and didn't hear anything inside. He stared at the backdoor and tried the handle on the off chance that someone had forgotten to lock it. When he couldn't push the handle all the way down, Harry tried a simple unlocking spell.

" _Alohomora_ ," he whispered.

The door gave off a soft click and Harry quietly stepped inside. He was instantly suspicious when no alarm rang. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized he was surrounded by stacks of boxes. There was nothing interesting in the small storage room and he continued his quiet search outside to the rest of the empty store. He was impressed with the full shelves of old books; the store didn't look like it contained much inventory from the outside.

He looked around, behind the counter, and even in the broom closet, but there was no sign of the black bag or that anybody actually lived in here. Harry looked down at the wood flooring and was certain of a basement underneath. He walked to the back of the store again and found the Employees Only door snugly fit between two bookshelves. He went through it again and discovered the one door he hadn't tried yet: the bathroom.

_This is ridiculous. Is there some unspoken rule about hiding secret underground rooms with the loo?_

Harry turned the knob for the bathroom and found it locked. He couldn't sense anyone behind the door using the toilet.

This time he unlocked the bathroom by waving his hand in the general direction of the door with a silent _Alohomora_. The spell unlocked everything in the single bathroom, including the safe hidden in the wall that Harry assumed was used to keep the store's money. He was surprised the spell worked but what sent tingles down his back was the hole that opened up on the floor.

_Deja vu._

There was a dimly lit stairwell going down. Distant warning bells had been going off in his head ever since he stepped inside the bookstore, but now they were loudly clanging in the forefront of his mind. He swallowed and questioned if there was a better way to get back his wand. His Gryffindor side warred with the cowardly thought and won. He was going to get his wand, dammit!

Harry carefully descended the tiled steps and found himself in an old corridor. The floor and walls had a light tan coloring. He noticed a bit of dust that had been swept to the wall edge.

His eyes traveled to the ceiling and noticed two light systems. He recognized the old incandescent light bulbs with browned glass. These bulbs were not the ones giving off the light; it was the second set. All Harry knew about them was that they were supposed to be more efficient in the energy cost. He shrugged and walked under them until he found a set of doors.

When he didn't hear anything inside, he pushed open the door lightly and found himself in a large room with tight rows of shelves filled with old documents. In one corner, he saw a pile of loosely organized boxes.

 _What kind of investigator is that muggle?_ Harry thought as he passed by another row. He distractedly read some of the names on the folders.

_Margaret Carter_

_Max Eisenhardt_

_James Howlett_

_Steven Grant Rogers_

_Howard Anthony Walter Stark_

Harry wondered if this Stark was connected to Tony. Curiosity stole his hand to reach for the folder. His hand froze when Harry heard footsteps echoing from the hallway outside. He hurried to the doors and stood with his back to the wall. He held his breath as he waited for the person to walk by.

"Hmm, need to clean my ears better." Harry held in his laugh when he heard it was the investigator.

_Yes! Come on, walk closer._

The muggle finally walked into the repelling charm. It worked even through walls and Harry couldn't help his wide grin as he heard the muggle hurry off towards the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With its members and resources, I think in the right circumstances, SHIELD can overcome even wizards.


	7. Zero Displacement

Agent Phil Coulson walked briskly through the yellowed hallway. He just remembered that he had a date with his cellist girlfriend. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten it and he only hoped that she wouldn't mind his tardiness.

A call interrupted his thoughts. The guitar riff for Johnny River's _Secret Agent Man_ played as his ringtone and echoed through the empty corridor. It ended when he accepted the call.

"Phil, what are you doing?"

Coulson thought her timing was terrible. "Natasha, I'm late for a date. I'm sorry, but can this wait?"

Natasha took a moment to reply. "Did you forget our guest?"

"I'm sorry, but guest?"

"You don't have a date. It was cancelled, _remember_?"

Coulson looked at the ceiling, trying to remember. "I don't recall this."

"Do you recall Zharennyi Porosenok?"

The mental train that hit Coulson in the head was staggering. He closed his eyes as he focused himself. "Thanks, Natasha."

Natasha sounded relieved over the phone. "Seems like our roast pork has another ability: suggestion. Still want to try to talk to him? I recommend just hitting him hard."

Coulson could imagine Natasha's version of _hard_ and decided to spare their guest the pain. "No, let me try one more time then it's your turn."

He played a tune in his head while he waited for her to agree.

She didn't disappoint. "Fine, I'm watching."

"Of course." With a smile, Coulson clicked off and mentally prepared himself. He pulled out a pen from a pocket from the inside of his jacket and wrote on his hand.

_Unlucky passerby_

Coulson hoped that if he was distracted again then his handwritten note would jar him back to the mission. He made his way back to the set of double doors. He purposefully made his steps loud just like before; he wanted their guest to know he was approaching.

He knocked on the door and called out, "Mr. Unlucky Passerby? I'm going to open this door and step inside. I'm unarmed. I just want to talk."

Coulson counted to five and when he still didn't hear anything, he slowly pushed the handle down and opened the wooden door. He walked in with both his hands palm out. He carefully stepped around cardboard boxes as his eyes searched through the rows of dusty shelves. There was that annoying buzzing again. His hand reached up to his ear to try to rub the sound away.

"Don't come any nearer."

Coulson stopped immediately. He leaned to the side, tipped his head and peered down an aisle at the end to see their dinner guest – or dinner as Natasha had called him.

* * *

Harry celebrated his small victory when the muggle had walked into the repelling charm. That relief had evaporated when he heard a tune being played and the short muffled conversation that brought the man back to the doors. Harry wished he had a pair of those Extendable Ears.

Harry silently retreated further back into the room and wondered if the charm had worn off or if that phone call had reminded the muggle to get something from this room.

"Mr. Unlucky Passerby? I'm going to open this door and step inside."

The charm had somehow been negated and the man had known all along that Harry was in the room. Harry immediately looked around for an exit. He found another set of doors.

"I'm unarmed. I just want to talk."

Harry paused in mid-stride as he considered. He took too long as he heard the door open. Harry stepped back behind a row to hide himself and saw glimpses of the muggle.

When the man reached up to rub his ear, Harry quickly canceled the _Muffliato_ and warned the man before he could get into the range of the muggle repellant. "Don't come any nearer."

The man had his hands out just like Harry had done back in the alley. Harry thought the man looked truly sincere in his offer – it didn't stop Harry from doing silent _Accio_ spells though. When no guns, knives, grenades – any weapon Harry could think of – came forth, he finally allowed himself a small measure of relief.

"Please listen to me before you send me off on another non-existing errand."

Still half hidden, Harry replied, "I'm listening."

"I apologize again for my actions from before, but I needed you to stay. I know you're only here for that broken piece of wood – and I'm sorry for that too – but I'll return it to you, if you hear me out."

"Sounds simple." _Almost too simple_.

The man paused for a moment when he heard Harry's doubt. "I'm part of an organization responsible for world-wide peacekeeping. Right now you are in one of our old underground record facilities – disused actually."

Harry thought that explained the un-kept way of the place.

"We try to maintain a hands-off attitude when appropriate, but we do actively investigate unusual events and people."

That earlier hope in finding other witches and wizards surfaced in Harry again, but it was tempered by the fact that such a muggle group existed. When Harry spoke again, there was a hint of a challenge in his voice. "You mean like me."

The muggle was expecting such a response and had a ready smile. "I ask that you don't get the wrong idea. We evaluate their personalities and behavior."

Harry thought that answer wasn't comprehensive; something was missing from it. The man saw Harry's frown and continued, "We have many that we employ if they're willing and suitable, but for most, we just leave alone. There are some we simply cannot due to their destructive goals."

"And how do you see me?"

There was that smile again. "You don't seem to have any anger management issues. You're not egotistical and narcissistic. You seem up-to-date on modern culture - so I say you're comparably normal so far."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. Him, normal? "So what do you want from me?"

"We want to be certain that you mean no harm to anyone." The man made a _wait a minute_ gesture with his hand and said, "Don't be alarmed. I'm going to take something out." The man slowly pulled out a small flat object from inside his jacket. "I skipped introductions before - my name's Phil. Here's my card – has my contact information too."

"Wait – " Harry tried to stop him from moving closer to the charm's range, but the man had already moved one step forward to place the card on a shelf. The muggle's demeanor completely changed as he forgot about Harry and quickly turned around. Harry tried to Summon his wand half before the man left in case it was hidden on his person. Nothing came.

"Bollocks," Harry said as he watched the man hurry out the door. Eyeing the card, Harry let the man go. He picked it up and sure enough Phil Coulson was printed neatly on the solid white card. There was even a number at the bottom.

When it didn't sound like Coulson was going to come back, Harry pocketed the card and continued his search for any sign of the black bag or his wand half. He passed by the folder with Stark's name again and decided that it couldn't hurt to look. Harry blew the dust off. He sneezed a couple of times before opening the cover.

_Howard Anthony Walter Stark_

_Family: Maria Collins Stark nee Carbonell (wife), Anthony Edward Stark (son)_

There was a picture of Howard Stark, posed for the camera. Harry thought he could see the family resemblance. He found another photo paper-clipped behind the first one. This one was of a woman holding a baby in one arm and a spoonful of baby food in the other. The shot looked candid.

He was about to flip through the other pages when the lights completely went off. _That muggle must have switched the lights off when he left._ Harry waited for his eyes to adjust, but when he still couldn't see anything, he tried a new spell with the wand handle.

_Lumos_

Harry didn't think it would work without a complete wand, but when the tip of his index finger started to softly glow, he started to chuckle – he thought it looked funny. He tucked the handle back into his pocket. Not wanting to read under low light, Harry just kept the folder under one arm for future reading. It was stealing, but that Phil guy did say the place was disused.

Harry searched but there was no light switch around. A couple times he thought he heard something, but he rationalized them as the sound of settling paper. He briefly looked through a few other names while he was looking for the lights. He was disappointed when they turned out to be normal muggles. Maybe they kept the names of the more _unusual_ people somewhere else?

Harry wasn't afraid of the dark, but being alone with only shadows to keep him company was starting to unnerve him. He pushed through the double doors and entered the hallway again to search elsewhere. It was just as dark but he steadily made his way through the corridor. He passed by a door on his left and tried to Summon his wand half. If it wasn't held down by something heavy, it should still try to make its way to him. Before moving on, Harry peeked inside. It looked like a computer room but everything inside was covered in plastic.

He attempted a Summons in every room he encountered, but when he went through at least ten offices and a four-way junction, he started to wonder how big the place was. He decided to make a right at the corner. He checked two more rooms on his left before he heard something. It sounded like something smacking into a solid barrier.

His heart sped up in anticipation as he wrenched the door to the room open. He held up his hand high to extend the range of the light. He didn't see the bag or wand, instead he saw cabinets and closets lined against the walls. Several tables were organized at the center with a couple of old monitors on top. Harry ignored these and Summoned again. A closet to the far right in the room shook.

Harry grinned. He walked to the corner of the room, lifted the latch locking the closet, and pulled open the door. At the bottom of the closet was the black bag laid on its side. As Harry crouched down to pick up the bag, he thought he felt something coming from behind him.

He was about to turn around when something clinked at his feet - he looked down at shiny disk. It exploded and a burst of smoke covered his face. He dropped the folder to rub his eyes. Harry coughed once before something swung and wrapped around his neck. He reacted by Apparating to somewhere behind him – and collided with a body.

Harry jumped away and swung his light towards the person. It was a woman holding the broken ends of some kind of wire. And she wasn't walking away from him.

"You're not a muggle!" Harry cried out in surprise.

She didn't answer except to narrow her eyes and charge at him. Harry had never seen anyone move as fast as her - she swept her leg under him. Air rushed out from his lungs when he crashed and knocked his head on the floor. He automatically rolled under a table, away from her pounce. She carelessly tossed the table to the side.

_Bloody Hell! She's fast and strong._

Harry's roll had brought him back to the closet with the black bag. His hand whipped out to grab it and with his head still ringing, Harry pictured a destination – in his haste, he just grabbed whatever came to mind first - anywhere else but here.

* * *

Natasha frowned in annoyance. Her roast pork had escaped. She turned around when she heard the sound of Coulson's shoes. He brought up a flashlight to find her in the storage room.

"Sorry again, I'm late aren't I?"

"It was a date the last time. What was it this time?"

Coulson actually looked embarrassed. "The Director using my Captain America cards again."

Natasha couldn't help the smile. It faded when she asked a question. "I didn't call you back, so how'd you break out of his suggestion?"

Coulson showed her his hand. "I didn't look at my hand until I was halfway downtown. When I finally did, I sped back. Ran several red lights too." He surveyed the wrecked room. "So he got away from you too?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't say that. I placed something in the bag - a surprise."

"That might be unnecessary. I did give him my card and it looked like he took it. So what do you think of him?"

"Good to know he doesn't read minds, otherwise he would have known about me just from talking to you."

Coulson's brow creased. "I still wouldn't underestimate him."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "He was also getting too comfortable in the Archives, so I shut the lights off. Found out he can produce his own light."

Natasha let Coulson interpret that ability however he wanted. It could be nothing more than just benign visible light or something more powerful.

She continued with her assessment. "He's not a fighter. Good reflexes but not trained. Got too close though, he sensed me in here."

Coulson immediately picked up on the inconsistency. "How come he didn't distract you like he did to me?"

Natasha mirrored his expression; she didn't know either. "That was the strange part. From watching you two in the records room, distance seemed important. When I was about to be discovered, I started off with ranged attacks but then he teleported to my location ... so it wasn't because of distance. He said something strange immediately after - said I wasn't a _muggle_. Have you heard of this word before?" Natasha stared at Coulson, but he just shrugged and shook his head in response.

"Maybe whatever it means is the reason why you weren't affected like I was."

"Maybe." She knew there were many differences between them. Natasha started picking up the scattered paper from the floor.

Coulson followed her lead. His eyes skimmed over the first page in his hand. "From these, he's interested in Stark. The guy is like a magnet for – " Coulson stopped when he remembered something. "Banner was seen taking Stark's private jet. Report said he arrived here yesterday."

"Banner, Stark, and now this new guy all in the same city." Natasha pointed to the papers. "And now this ... Stark knows something. Maybe I didn't need to leave that surprise in your black bag after all."

* * *

Bruce coolly sipped his hot cup of tea as he stood behind Tony, who was anxiously watching his screens. Bruce had gone upstairs and dug around in Tony's unused kitchen to heat up some water for his tea about ten minutes ago. He had come back to find Tony instead of sitting down but pacing around.

"Harry's signal is going to come back in about a minute," Bruce assured.

"I know that."

"Then stop pacing around."

"I'm not pacing; I'm stretching."

Bruce looked at his cup and an idea entered his mind. "Tony, when was the last time you had gone to the bathroom?"

"Bruce! Why'd you have to remind me?" Tony shouted out before he ran off.

Bruce lifted his cup to drink again. He smiled as he calmly followed Tony to the other side of the basement. After Tony practically jumped into the bathroom, Bruce quietly inspected the locked door.

"Because I told Harry that I'd keep you off his back," Bruce whispered to himself. He opened the panel on the side of the door and unplugged some of the wiring.

"Bruce what was that?"

"Nothing Tony. Just your egotistical delusions."

The door shook as Tony tried to open it. "Did you know that you can be so immature?"

"Yes, I know that," Bruce parroted what Tony had said earlier. Bruce looked at his watch. "Consider this a small time out… for about ten minutes until Harry's signal's gone again."

Bruce had just sat down on a nearby couch when he heard a shattering of glass. Bruce watched as Tony hit the opaque glass door one more time with a blunt object before stepping out of the gaping hole.

Tony smirked as he dropped the cover for the toilet's water tank on the floor. "Why do you think I installed glass doors and walls? Pepper tried to lock me in before – "

_Thud. Thump._

Their heads snapped towards the direction of the sounds: a lump dressed in black cloth and a bag had fallen into Tony's basement. They heard the _lump_ groaning and then rolling off one of Tony's cars before it started to shakily pick itself up from the floor.

"Sir – " JARVIS started.

"JARVIS, you don't have to tell me," Tony interrupted. To Bruce, he said, "Oh look, ET came home … and dented my newly acquired 1967 Cobra."

Bruce winced in response; he couldn't help sympathizing with Tony on this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 1967 Cobra is the blue car that Tony crash lands onto in the first Iron Man movie. Harry just happened to land onto Tony's replacement car. It is a nicely designed classic and coveted by car collectors.


	8. Take Two

Harry landed on something metallic. He shook his head to help clear it but it only worsened the disorientation. He rolled off whatever he had landed on and fell in a heap onto the floor. He groaned out as he grabbed onto the side of something. He mildly succeeded in getting up on wobbly legs.

"Sir – "

Harry closed his eyes tightly to get his balance. _Who-?_

"JARVIS, you don't have to tell me. Oh look, ET came home … and dented my newly acquired 1967 Cobra."

Harry noticed he was leaning on a blue car – and he had two witnesses in front him. After a harrowing misadventure, Harry just vented. "Bloody Hell! You people – everyone on this world! – are bloody mad. Do you know how many people I've met here? I can count them all in one hand – and in one way or another, most of you have tried to kill me."

"Attempted murder already? I think you'll fit right in. What did you do? And who?" Tony asked.

Harry glared at Tony. "You're one of them. And then there was a man named Phil – "

"You mean Agent?" Tony blurted out. Surprised, he confessed, "Never mind. That was just habit. You're probably referring to another guy."

" – Coulson." Harry finished.

Tony grinned. "Oh so you are talking about the same one. His name's Agent, not Phil."

"You know him? And his parents named him Agent?" Harry asked in disbelief.

In the most honest face Tony could manage, he said, "Yeah to both questions."

"Tony, should you be saying these things?" Bruce asked in a stern manner. This time it was Bruce that glared at Tony.

Harry shot Tony another doubtful look. "I go out on my own and I meet someone you know. Blind chance?"

Bruce replied, "I'm going to answer, because I know Tony's just going to make it worse. Probably not a coincidence, but we did not send him. Can you tell me what he was doing?"

"He said he was an investigator."

"Where did you see him?" Bruce inquired.

Harry grimaced before answering. "Where I … fell."

"Agent must have been assigned your case," Tony realized.

"My case?"

Bruce looked guiltily at his cup. "We weren't discrete when we removed you from the cemetery. We left a hole in the ground – we were rushing to get you out."

Harry pushed away the uneasy thought of being buried and asked another question. "He said that he was part of an organization that investigates people like me."

Tony slapped Bruce on his shoulder and walked towards the Shelby Cobra to inspect it. "See Bruce? We didn't have to keep it a secret; Harry found out about it anyway."

"Found out about what?" Harry asked.

Bruce answered, "SHIELD, the organization he works for."

Tony revealed his version of the acronym. "Stands for Strategic Home Invasion – "

Bruce interrupted before Tony could lie any further to Harry. "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

In the background, Harry heard Tony insisting that his home had been invaded. To Bruce, Harry asked, "So what he said was true about looking into anything unusual?"

"Yea, SHIELD is rather nosy," Tony admitted.

"How are you connected to – umm SHIELD?"

Bruce scratched his head and shyly smiled. "Well in a way, we work for them too."

"I don't," Tony pointed out. "I'm listed as a consultant. Heard some chatter that I am _The Consultant_."

Harry scoffed. "You? Who would take advice from you?"

Tony puffed his chest a little. "I am a respectable entrepreneur and inventor. I also have a fanclub."

Harry thought Tony was more like a habitual liar. "There was also a woman who attacked me."

"Was she beautiful?" Tony asked with interest.

"I suppose?" Harry didn't know where Tony was taking this.

"Why'd you run away then?"

"Oh I don't know, because she was trying to strangle me?" Harry pointed to his neck.

"Oh kinky."

Harry couldn't believe his ears, so he chose to ignore whatever Tony last said. "She had red hair, if that helps."

Tony laughed. "You're luck's either great or horrible - can't say. That was probably Agent Romanoff."

Harry looked to Tony and said, "You're not convincing me that her name's Agent too."

"Wasn't going to try. There's only one Agent."

Bruce sighed. "Ignore him; it really is Phil."

"And her name can't possibly be Romanoff." Harry had kept in touch with Victor Krum even after the Tournament. Krum's international fame and career in Quidditch took him to different countries. One of the countries Harry had visited Krum had been Russia. It was from this trip when he became better acquainted to some Russian names.

"You have the ability to tell people's names too?"

"No! I mean Romanoff is for a man. The female equivalent is Romanova. So unless she is the most convincing female impersonator in both worlds, her name is Romanova." That time in Russia, Harry had been under disguise and accidentally called a woman with the male version. She had rewarded him with a slap to the face.

Tony looked at Bruce. Bruce shrugged in return and said, "I knew that."

For Tony, he wondered why Fury introduced Natasha as Romanoff. "Huh – and no one ever told me."

While Harry was busy unwrapping the wiring from around his neck, Bruce took the opportunity to approach Harry.

"Anyway, welcome back," Bruce greeted. "I didn't expect to see you return so soon."

Harry reluctantly admitted, "I hadn't planned on it. This was the first safe place I thought of. Landing could have been better, but I was being attacked." Harry laughed pathetically at the irony. "I had left this house only to come back. I was trying to figure some things out on my own, but I ended up meeting Agent – " Harry almost face-palmed. " – I mean Phil Coulson - who held me at gunpoint and a woman who … "

Harry looked at Bruce strangely, as if trying to solve something. Bruce returned with a questioning look. "Yes?"

"You don't have the sudden need to be somewhere else?" Harry carefully asked.

"Well, there's only so much of Tony's company that is healthy for a person – "

"Hey! I equal world peace, remember?" Tony yelled from the other side of the car. He was checking it for the dents he was sure Harry had inflicted.

" – but right now, no, I'm fine right here." Bruce nodded to assure him.

Harry just found his second non-muggle person, but Bruce didn't look like a wizard. That woman from before didn't look like a witch either. Harry didn't know how to tactfully ask, so he did it bluntly. "You're not normal are you?"

Bruce was in the middle of a sip and when he heard that question, he started coughing. "Excuse me?"

Harry thought Bruce was offended and tried to ask in a different way. "I mean, do you have any abilities? Strange things happening?"

Tony snorted from behind the car, while Bruce cleared some of the tea from his lungs and answered, "You mean like your glowing finger?"

Harry had forgotten about the _Lumos._ He concentrated on his index finger and extinguished the light with a _Nox_.

"Not just this necessarily. Can you do things that are umm … unexplainable?"

Bruce thought for a second. "Not completely unexplainable, but how did you know?"

Harry had an uncomfortable look on his face. "Err – before I answer that, you don't have any witches and wizards do you?"

Bruce blinked in response. "Define a witch or wizard."

"Finally, answers!" Tony exclaimed happily. "Not really a fair exchange for damaging my car – this is a classic you know – took me a while to find another after I … well, crash landed on the first one."

Feeling guilty, Harry made a mental note to see if he could fix Tony's car and then turned back to the larger issue. Harry sighed. "That's a no then. Well, if you're a normal human, then you wouldn't be able to get so close to me. You'd suddenly remember that you had to do something or be somewhere."

Bruce frowned in confusion. "I still don't understand how you're defining normal. And how does suddenly remembering anything have to do with being normal?"

Harry couldn't avoid the word anymore. "It's magic. If you have magic, then this charm that I've placed on myself wouldn't affect you."

Bruce and Tony stared. There was a dramatic pause before Tony burst out laughing.

"What's the range of your _hypnosis_?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"Try standing next to me," Harry challenged. He was certain Tony was a muggle, and that assumption was proven true when Tony jogged around the car and walked by Harry without looking back.

Bruce was quick to call out, "Tony, where are you going?"

On the stairs, Tony turned around to answer. "Didn't JARVIS just say that Pepper's outside waiting? I'm late for a press conference about my tower's usage of clean energy."

Harry smirked.

"There's no press conference," Bruce disagreed. "Did you forget about Harry?"

Tony looked confused, gobsmacked and then something resembling a pout appeared on his face. "I don't want to be _normal_."

Bruce rolled his eyes and replied, "Don't worry, you're far from it."

Harry looked between the two. "So, you believe me now?"

Tony walked back into the basement and looked Harry up and down. "Here's what I can believe: You're not from an advanced alien civilization, but from something like what we have here. You can resurrect yourself – something I still need to figure out, teleport, have bioluminescence, and some telepathy. If you're describing magic in those terms, then yes I can believe you."

Harry insisted, "It is magic. How can you just explain away what happened to you?"

"Simple. JARVIS?"

"Yes sir?"

Harry had forgotten about this new person and whipped around to look for him, but he couldn't locate where the voice was coming from.

"It's Tony's virtual butler," Bruce whispered to Harry. Harry wondered how a butler could be virtual.

"Are you detecting anything?" Tony asked the room.

"Yes sir. A low range field with an effective radius of one meter and a half."

"What does that mean?" Harry was surprised this JARVIS got the range of the charm.

"It means that I can probably replicate what you're doing," Tony said with a sly smile.

Bruce explained, "The human brain can be affected by various things; it's possible to manipulate a person's thoughts, moods, senses using sound, visible light, different frequencies of waves, etc. Not much has been done on it, I think, for obvious ethical reasons."

Tony stood in front of Harry, approximately two meters away. "Thanks Harry, this'll be great for getting people to leave me alone."

Bruce shook his head slowly and rubbed his forehead. "Harry, if you can, please don't give Tony anything else to play with."

"Sir, there is also a signal coming from the bag," JARVIS added.

Tony finally remembered about the black bag on the floor. "JARVIS, has it been transmitting this whole time?"

"I've intercepted the signal. SHIELD is now aware of Mr. Potter's presence here."

Annoyed, Tony asked, "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"You said it was optional, sir."

Tony grumbled to himself. "There goes plausible deniability."

Bruce still heard it though. "Tony, Fury wouldn't have believed you in the first place."

"He can stare down at me with his one eye all he wants – " Tony opened the bag and promptly passed out. He had just discovered Natasha's surprise: knock out gas.

* * *

"If you want to go ahead and leave, now is the time to do it. SHIELD is probably on its way here," Bruce suggested.

Harry shook his head. "No, I need information and I shouldn't be sneaking around like I was before. Besides, you seem to trust them."

"Here." Bruce held up a cup.

"Thank Merlin, real tea," Harry sighed as he took the cup of Earl Grey from Bruce.

"Merlin?" Bruce asked, as he led them both back down to the basement.

"He was a real person to us," Harry defended.

"I'm not saying that he's not real," Bruce assured as he sat down and leaned back onto the couch.

They had carried Tony with them after a few unsuccessful – and painful looking - attempts were made by his minion bots. Tony was currently snoozing away on another sofa. Bruce had left Tony alone after making sure he was ok. Harry had offered to _Ennervate_ after explaining what the spell did but Bruce had declined its use. It was good to have silence once in a while.

"What do you mean by _us_?" Bruce asked with honest interest.

"We call people – humans - who have magical ability a witch or wizard."

"So you live on an Earth fully populated with witches and wizards?"

"No, we have communities hidden all over the world. The magical and muggle – what we call non-magical people – are segregated. We have a Statute of Secrecy which penalizes anyone who reveals magic to muggles."

"No wonder you were being so secretive at first."

Harry laughed. "The entire time I thought I was going to be arrested for saying even that much."

Harry drank a little before addressing a more serious issue. "Look Mr. Ban – Bruce, I need to go home. I have a broken wand, my magic is acting strange - and I should be dead, I guess. I was trying to find other witches and wizards here – see if maybe they know something or a way for me to get back."

Bruce hoped Harry wouldn't take offense and followed up on the topic. "You said you should be dead. Judging from your reactions from last time, this is new to you then."

Harry nodded and looked down at his feet. "I've been close to dying before, but never dead. So yes, very much a surprise." Harry looked intently at Bruce. "You don't have any information about that do you?"

"If you're asking about the time you were dead, I briefly looked through your autopsy reports." Bruce tipped his head in Tony's direction. "Tony gave them to me to read while I was on his jet."

"I'm still holding on to some hope that it was some hoax."

"No, no, you were definitely dead. Blunt force trauma, massive hemorrhaging, broken bones – "

Harry shifted in his seat. "Alright, alright – I got it."

"Anyway, did you find any? Witches or wizards, I mean."

"Well you're ..." Harry didn't know what to call Bruce.

Bruce guessed, "So I would be considered a wizard?"

"I don't know how you would be classified. What can you _do_?"

Bruce looked a little uncomfortable but then answered, "Invulnerability to … almost everything."

Harry just stared. "Almost … everything? Can you be more specific?"

Bruce quickly added, "I say almost everything, because I obviously haven't tried everything. It's not magic though."

Harry sighed. "You're still being vague – and you still don't believe me about magic."

Bruce closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. "We believe you can do remarkable things, but to simply call it _magic_ and leave it alone with that label – seems lazy to us."

Now Harry was a little offended. "We have schools that teach it. Study it. That was my job. We have laws of magic just like you have laws in science. There is even something called the Gamp's Law of Magical Transfiguration and its Principle Exceptions." Harry looked troubled before facing Bruce again. "I seem to have broken some of them during my time here. There are also some other inconsistencies."

"Like what?"

"Death for one, obviously. It is not meant to be reversible."

"And the others?"

"Well money is not supposed to be reproducible, but it can be done here. I couldn't do it for your currency because I don't know how it looks, but I can do it for the money I'm familiar with."

"What do you mean it's not supposed to be?"

"It's one of the Exceptions to Gamp's Law. I haven't tried it yet, but food is another exception. I'm not even going to try to make food – if it's botched up and I eat it, I might actually die - " Harry winced. " – again. Regardless, not testing it."

Bruce furrowed his brow. "There must be something underlying why they can't be reproduced – other than the very obvious consequence of economic collapse."

Harry shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't study this area any further."

"What other things?"

"I shouldn't be able to Summon objects unless I know where they are, but I had removed five specific items from your Coulson. I had no idea of four of them beforehand."

"What do you mean Summon?"

Harry looked around and spotted something shiny across the room: Tony's trophy. It flew straight to him and with a quick pass of his hand, Harry caught it.

Bruce chuckled. "That could be very useful."

Bruce held out his hand and Harry passed the trophy to him. Harry watched as Bruce set the trophy standing on the table. Harry read the inscription. _Proof that Tony Stark has a heart._ This must be important to Stark, Harry realized. It also glowed the same way as the light on Tony's chest too. Harry would ask about that later.

"I suppose you can move things in other directions?" Bruce suggested.

"I have to use a different spell."

Bruce tipped his head, surprised and confused. "Why? It's just applying force in a different direction. I don't think your people realize how much information you're missing. I wonder if you tried – really tried- if you can use the same method to move anything anywhere. As for the not knowing where an object is – that will remain a mystery - " Bruce smiled. "- for now."

"What do you mean by how much information we're missing? Yes we don't know everything about magic but I'm reluctant to apply your concepts."

"Magic." Bruce leaned back and sighed. "The biggest reason why Tony and I can't simply accept it – at least the way you have - is we can probably do everything you can. Maybe not as elegantly because we use machines, but we can still do it or at least learn about it." Bruce remembered something he heard a while back. "To you, it's magic and to us, it's science; they're still the same thing though. You can use the analogy of a coin, if you will."

Harry shook his head to disagree. "Magic and muggle science seem to clash against each other; they seem mutually exclusive and antagonistic to one another. I still have my doubts – our magical world is diverse and capable of much more than I have demonstrated, but from what I've heard so far, I have even more reason to return. If the muggle world at home can do what Stark says he can, then the magical community is on the verge of being discovered."

Bruce empathized with Harry who had grown quiet and anxious. Bruce looked like he was debating with himself before he added, "I did tell you about our research group right? One of our members may be able to help you."

"Didn't you say you focused on interstellar? This isn't the same thing."

Bruce held both his hands in front to try to alleviate Harry's frustration. "Not that."

"How then?"

"Remember when Tony talked about the two brothers that are a thousand years old?"

Harry narrowed his eyes in response. " _All_ of that was true? I thought he was making that one up. In fact, I don't know if I trust anything he says."

Bruce winced. "You'll get used to it. Anyway, don't get your hopes up but one of them may be able to help you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This and the next several chapters will be my attempt to reconcile the two concepts of magic and science. While I can accept the two as being separate, one cannot trump absolutely over the other in a story where these two ideas are present. Reading transcripts of Rowling's interviews, I can tell even she's aware of this when she was building her magical world for five years prior to writing the first book.


	9. Test Crash Dummy

Harry didn't know what to think about Tony's minion bots. At first he just thought they were like mechanical house elves. Obliviously rolling around, picking up random things from the floor and placing them back to their proper places. Bruce had introduced one of the robots to him. It was called DUM-E.

Here was DUM-E now refilling his cup with more tea.

Harry muttered an awkward, "Thank you?" He smiled when DUM-E clicked its mandibles and bobbed its head up and down.

Harry turned back to Bruce again. "Anyway… I hope I'm not intruding, but I really need to use your bathroom."

"Oh! It's that way," Bruce pointed behind him.

Harry thanked him as he placed the tea cup back on the table. Crossing over the basement, he had to admire the way Tony treated his collection of cars. They were polished perfectly – bold colors shining flawlessly. He might not appreciate their value but he could understand the way Tony appreciated them. It was like his collection of brooms.

His shoes crunched over glass.

He frowned as he realized there was glass and the lid of a toilet on the ground. He peered through the hole in the door and wondered what had happened. Inside there was only a toilet and sink built in a modern metallic style. He turned back to Bruce, "Err… this isn't the bathroom."

"I'm sure it is – I used it before," Bruce yelled from across the room.

"There's no bath. How can it be called the bathroom?" Harry asked.

"Wait –oh – you want a shower?"

"Well… yes, a bath or shower – whichever. I haven't had one in days if what you say is true."

"Come upstairs. I'll show you," Bruce said as he climbed up the stairs. "I'm using one of the guest bedrooms but I think there's another one."

"There is one other guest room," JARVIS added. "Across from Dr. Banner's."

"Thank you," Harry said, looking up at the ceiling. He was still awed when he had learned from Bruce that JARVIS was only a computer. He decided it was like having a rather polite ghost. He noticed Bruce's title. "You're not a medical doctor, are you?"

"No, nuclear physics, but all that feels like a life-time ago." Harry didn't ask anymore, because Bruce's reply had felt too short – too uncomfortable.

Harry walked back across the basement and smiled when DUM-E followed. The rolling stopped when Harry climbed the stairs. He turned back and looked down at DUM-E who was whimpering and couldn't go up the steps. He chuckled and shook his head as he was reminded of Dobby.

Bruce waited for him up another set of stairs. "You probably need a set of clothes. I can give you some or maybe dig around Tony's wardrobe, but I don't know how well you'll fit in them. You can roll up the legs and sleeves if you need to."

Harry sighed – here was another reminder of how short he was. He never finished his growth spurt and was several inches shorter than Tony and Bruce. "It's fine right now. I can clean the clothes I have on."

"You want to use the washer and dryer?" Bruce asked in confusion. "I haven't been able to find them in this house."

"No- no, I meant I can magically clean them," Harry explained. He noticed the quirk on Bruce's mouth when he said _magic_.

"Alright, well here it is." Bruce waved his hand towards a white door.

"Thanks," Harry said as he stepped through.

"I'll order some food while you're up here. Tony doesn't keep anything in his kitchen. Want anything?"

Harry looked out through the glass walls and saw the sky lightening with shades of light blue. Was it morning already? He shrugged and suggested, "Whatever is convenient for you."

"Don't take too long; we're expecting extra guests." Bruce was trying not to smile. "I'll be downstairs."

Maybe waiting here wasn't a good idea, Harry thought as he closed the door.

He took in all the details of the room. The bedroom was all white or off white with smooth curves. Lamps dotted around - it was a minimal approach but still elegant. The glass walls became tinted and opaque as he passed them. So that's how privacy was possible.

He walked into the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror that covered one half of the wall. A boy's face stared back. Stripped of all glamours, this was the face of his past and through some unknown twist became his present. And now here in this strange world similar in some ways to his own, he had died twice but got back up again. Without looking for it, here, he possessed what Tom had _craved._ He shut his eyes – he needed to get out of here, back to home where things made more sense.

* * *

Harry got a surprise when he stepped out of the shower.

"Merlin-!" Harry cried – he almost slipped. "DUM-E! How did you get up here?"

DUM-E had somehow rolled itself into the bathroom and was patiently waiting, holding a towel out. It nudged the towel forward and Harry reluctantly took it. Wrapped in only a towel, Harry awkwardly went around DUM-E's large frame, grabbed his _Tergeo_ -cleaned clothes, and backed out into the bedroom. When DUM-E turned around, Harry stepped forward to close the door.

"Stay," Harry ordered. He didn't know if it would work, but the whine through the door was a good sign. He figured there must be an elevator somewhere in the house. It was the only explanation he could think of.

He dried himself and dressed quickly before leaving the room – sighing in relief when he didn't hear the sound of wheels. He went down the stairs to the ground floor and was about to enter the basement when he heard the doorbell. Assuming Bruce was downstairs, he decided to answer it. The door wasn't a traditional one and Harry wondered where the knob was.

JARVIS remotely opened the door - and Harry gasped, then Apparated across the room.

It was Agents Romanova and Coulson. Natasha had changed to a blouse and dress pants while Coulson remained in his standard suit.

They both stepped through – one carrying a large brown paper bag smelling of food and the other, with that ever-present smirk.

Agent Romanova gave a brief smile, maybe a bit too intense. "You didn't stay for dinner, so we decided to join you for breakfast."

Before Harry could reply, Bruce popped his head up from the basement. "Oh you're here. Come downstairs – Tony's down here too."

"You did that on purpose," Harry whispered accusingly to Bruce when he got to the stairs. He paid close attention to the two agents as they descended down the steps – particularly on the red-headed woman. She moved with the grace of a Veela and the air of a predator.

Bruce looked surprised and then chuckled. "Actually, I didn't, but I figured the timing was close enough together that they'd somehow intercept the delivery guy."

Agent Coulson's smile grew wider. Once they reached the sofas, Romanova slipped out something from her belt and knelt next to Tony. Must be smelling salts, Harry realized. The second thing he noticed was that both agents stayed a certain distance away from him. Probably as a precaution in case he wanted to _send_ them away.

Natasha waved the smelling salt around Tony's nose and he woke up with a startle. He blinked furiously, sat up, and shook himself.

Tony looked back and forth between Coulson and Romanova. "Oh no… it's Agents Mulder and Scully. See? Home invasion."

Harry closed his eyes in frustration. Is there anything that comes from that mouth that he can trust? Now their names are Mulder and Scully?

Bruce cleared his throat and sat next to Tony. "So I'm guessing we're all here because of … Harry."

All eyes turned to him - nervousness crept in. He went with a standard introduction. "Hello, my name's Harry Potter."

"So, Mr. Unlucky Passerby has a name. Well I've already introduced myself and this here is … " Coulson trailed off.

"Natasha Romanoff," Natasha supplied.

"Ah-ah-ah, I know now. _Romanova_." Tony crossed his arms.

Natasha only raised an eyebrow. "Oh you finally figured it out."

"What? That's it? Your super-secret identity known – and that's it?"

She showed him a confident smile – completely unfazed. She gestured to the paper bag. "It's rude to keep your guests waiting."

Harry knew that a smile like that meant she was hiding something else. The fact that she wasn't bothered at all was probably because Tony still didn't know her _super_ - _secret_ _identity_.

Tony scowled and snatched the brown bag that was set in the middle of the table. Harry had forgotten about the food – but his stomach hadn't. It growled.

Tony dug around the bag. "Bruce, did you order again?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

Tony sighed, "It's just you got this the last time. Anyway, here Harry."

"What is it?" Harry asked as he caught the sandwich that was tossed to him.

"A chicken biscuit," Tony replied.

Harry blinked and stared at the wrapped chicken biscuit. "You must be joking."

Tony looked confused. "No, I'm actually being serious." He didn't say _for once_ but everyone but Harry knew those two words were there.

Harry rubbed his face. "Bollocks. So you're saying that you eat chicken with biscuits?"

Natasha smirked, already figuring out Harry's problem. She didn't say anything though.

"Yeah," Tony said.

"Are you mad? Chicken with bloody biscuits? _Cookies?"_

Bruce interrupted, "Oh! – they're not cookies. They're not those biscuits. Just open it and try it."

Uncertainty passed over Harry's face, but he opened the packaging anyway. It really was a chicken sandwich. He took a careful bite and sighed – this was the closest to a meal he had eaten since he had stumbled into this world.

"We even got waffle fries … and how about chicken and waffles, if you want," Tony unhelpfully added after catching on … just to mess with Harry some more. Harry glared back.

"Going back to business..." Coulson started. "Harry, are you our John Doe? You match all descriptions down to the clothes you're wearing."

"I'm sorry, am I who?"

Bruce winced. "You must be talking about how Tony and I had dug up Harry from that cemetery."

"Oh, you mean Joe Bloggs," Harry realized.

"Mind explaining how you're alive?" Coulson asked.

Harry answered honestly, "I don't know."

He felt like he was being interrogated. Their questions and manner were mild, but their keen eyes told a different story. He swallowed nervously. When Coulson asked the next question, Harry felt like he had just passed their judgment.

"You demonstrate several abilities – you are human right?"

Harry gave a firm "Yes."

Natasha inspected his face. "You appear young enough – did your abilities just manifest?"

Harry frowned. "I've had them since birth."

"That's unusual," Natasha commented. "Normally, abilities become apparent during the teenage years."

"About that… I'm 41 and I'm not from around here. So however you're trying to categorize me, it's not going to work."

"So you really are 41?" Tony asked. "And you're _stuck_ as a teenager?"

"Don't remind me."

It was a strange day when one Tony Stark had a pitying look on his face. Tony could still remember all that teenage angst, hormones, and just all the _good_ stuff puberty brought. "Harry, I have to say that I am so sorry for you. A teenager forever." Tony cringed.

"Thanks for reminding me," Harry flatly said.

"I think this explains some of your behavior, you act… young," Natasha commented.

Harry sighed, "Thanks again for reminding me." Harry had noticed it too; all his friends had mellowed out later on in their adult lives while he … hadn't so much. It helped that he had a sedentary occupation, but sometimes his impatience and quick defense of his pride would still bubble up.

Bruce spoke when the conversation stopped. "What Harry said about not being around here … according to Tony –"

"I didn't do it!" Tony just blurted out when Natasha and Coulson turned to him. "I was working on teleportation when he just dropped in - literally."

"I came here on accident from another world," Harry confirmed.

"See? And to be more specific, it's another universe."

"I'm sorry if I've caused any trouble, but I've been trying to go home the entire time," Harry admitted.

"Well this simplifies things. Any consequences from your arrival?" Coulson asked. "And how do you plan to go back?"

Harry wasn't sure how much he should say. Based on the reactions from Tony and Bruce, mentioning magic to anyone here didn't seem like a good idea. "I've somehow left my world and landed in Stark's basement. I don't think there are consequences to you, but to me, yes. Things work differently for me here - I haven't figured it out. There's been no precedent."

"Well … there might be," Tony said.

"Really?" Harry sat up.

"Maybe not exactly like yours, but similar," Bruce admitted before he looked apologetic to Coulson and Natasha and asking them, "Do we need clearance to contact him for Harry?"

Coulson nodded. "Granted. With both of us vouching for your sincerity, Mr. Potter, you've been authorized."

"Dr. Evil's Number 2 cleared him that fast?" Tony asked incredulously.

Coulson tapped his ear piece. "He's been listening the entire time."

"JARVIS! I'm going to disown you one day."

"I am too integrated into your life for you to attempt it," JARVIS countered.

Tony tossed his hands in the air. "The world's conspiring against me."

"I'm surprised you didn't already go ahead and contact him," Coulson said.

"I already did," Tony replied and then scowled. "He didn't pick up – that drama queen."

 _Drama queen?_ Harry wondered what kind of person Tony would describe in such a way.

"Try Dr. Foster," Natasha suggested. "She can get a message to him wherever he is – even if it is indirect."

Harry noticed the way Romanova had said wherever. She turned to him and gave him a cool smile. Harry realized that this woman _never_ gave anything away unless she intended it. He wanted to ask how she wasn't a muggle, but he didn't think she would answer – truthfully. He remembered how fast she moved and how she had lifted that table like it was an annoyance. In close range, she had the clear advantage.

"Who is this Dr. Foster?" Harry asked.

Natasha answered, "Jane Foster – the foremost expert on Einstein-Rosen Bridges and theoretical astrophysics –"

"Not so theoretical now," Tony quipped.

" - and current Director of the Laser-Interferometer Observatory and Propulsion Technologies."

Harry didn't understand that last part. It showed on his face.

"It's that interstellar travel project that I mentioned earlier," Bruce helpfully added. "We're going to ask her to get a … long distance message across. She's one of us."

"JARVIS, you heard that?" Tony asked.

"Yes sir."

"We were a four-member research group – you know Tony and me, and she's the third one," Bruce whispered to the side for Harry.

A virtual screen appeared in front of Tony. A visual representation of the phone ringing waved across the screen. On the fourth ring, the call was picked up. There was a brown haired woman standing and looking into the screen. A bit of her hair was sticking up and a cup of coffee in her hand. "Tony? You're up this early?"

"Yeah, extended sleepover," he said as he spread his hands apart to blow up the screen and then flicked it out so that everyone could see.

Harry was amazed. Had he missed so much of the muggle world that he never noticed such clever innovations?

"I just got into the office, but what's up guys?" She sat in her seat with a warm smile. Jane finally noticed the two agents in the corner of the screen – she frowned. "Tony, what did you do now?"

"I did nothing this time! Why does everyone think it's my fault?"

"He's calling on my behalf, Dr. Foster," Harry said as he waved to get her attention.

"Oh, call me Jane." She was quick to offer a friendly smile.

"Harry Potter, but just call me Harry. I've been told that you can contact someone who can help me."

Jane's eyes flicked to Coulson and then to Natasha before she pressed her lips together. "I'm assuming in an _unofficial_ capacity?" When she received a nod from Coulson, Jane stood up and left her desk. Harry couldn't see where she had gone, but he could hear the rustle of curtains and the sound of a lock.

"Jane, you don't have to do that. JARVIS can remotely secure your office, you know," Tony impatiently reminded her.

"Just trying to be careful, that's all," Jane said as she sat back down with a little bounce. "By the way, I never thanked you for picking out such a nice chair for me. So what is the message and to whom?"

"That was Pepper – she picked out all the furnishings. Anyway, we got someone who's _displaced_."

Jane gave a confused response, "There was no signal from their Bifrost. Anyone who went through it, I would know."

 _Bifrost?_ Harry thought it was an appropriate name for interstellar travel. He wondered where these muggles traveled to – what was on the other side of the bridge.

"Our resident zombie here didn't go through the Bifrost. He's from a different universe."

Jane blinked at Tony's description of Harry but then dismissed it. Her entire attitude changed suddenly and she faced Harry again – all professional. "A different universe? So, you're trying to get back? I'll send it, but I don't know if a message is even necessary. He's so in-tune with the higher dimensions he might know already - maybe not any specifics, but he'll be looking for you."

Harry thought his situation was looking better already. "That could speed things along. Brilliant."

Tony snapped his finger. "Ooh… you're right Jane, he might know already. Hey, Harry, can we pretend that I figured out the teleporting thing? I just want to see his face when –"

Jane interrupted, _"Alright,_ so I'm guessing you are all coming here?"

"Set it for tomorrow," Tony decided. "I still got some things to do here."

"Okay, how many should I be expecting? All five of you?"

Natasha shook her head. "I'll be withdrawing from this case. I'll report in. Phil?"

"I'll be staying on. The case isn't closed yet."

"There aren't enough rooms for a fourth person," Tony said gleefully. Harry wondered what Tony had against Coulson.

Without missing a beat, Coulson smoothly replied, "I'll just meet you all here tomorrow morning."

"Okay then, I'll see you guys when you get here and I look forward to meeting you, Harry." Jane hung up with a wave.

Well that was easy. Harry thought that had gone fast - but brilliantly. He felt like he was well on his way home.

There was something lingering in the corner of his mind though – nagging him. Not once, had they said who he was meeting.

* * *

Later in the afternoon well after Coulson and Natasha had left, Harry found himself back in the basement. He felt tired, but he was feeling too restless to sleep. He was still adjusting to the fact that for Bruce and Tony it had been several days, but for him, it only felt like one very long but very eventful day.

His wand halves were still in his pocket but they were useless. With no Elder Wand and no Ollivander around, he couldn't fix his Holly wand. With nothing to do, he decided to push his newfound wand-less abilities a bit further. Reparo was a simple spell meant to mend small broken objects. He wasn't sure if it would work but he was going to try it – on the glass door.

Harry lifted the toilet tank cover from the floor and walked around the glass pieces that littered the ground. He set the cover to the side. After crouching next to the door, he inspected the man-size hole. He suspected it was probably Tony-sized.

He held his hand out, palm facing the hole. He willed the glass to come together even scrunching his face in concentration. Nothing happened. He sighed and tried again while thinking the word _Reparo_. He thought he saw a piece of glass move – he couldn't be sure, the movement had been so small.

He shut his eyes this time and tried to imagine all the glass shards on the floor … and _pulled_ them together like a jigsaw puzzle.

"Huh – maybe I should hire you to fix my broken stuff. I have a lot."

Surprised, Harry jumped a little. The glass that hadn't merged into the door yet fell and clattered back to the floor. It was a partial success.

"You mean you break a lot," Harry retorted.

Tony just grinned. "So what _spell_ is that?"

"It's called _Reparo_ – invented by Orabella Nuttley around the 18th century," Harry recited from memory.

Tony crouched down and whipped out a holographic screen. "JARVIS, play footage of the door." After zooming in on individual glass shards and tracking their movement he looked up at Harry. "Hmm, seems like you're just reversing velocities… I wonder …"

Harry was still amazed at how many electronics were still able to work in the presence of his magic. "Where I'm from, I don't think your little torch there would survive."

"Torch? Oh you mean my arc reactor. It's not just to illuminate my dashing figure by the way."

Harry took one last look at the circular pattern of lights before going back to the glass door. "Even seeing this, you're still not convinced?"

"I don't know what Bruce told you – well I can find out – but it's in our nature to be skeptics. Hell, we're trained skeptics … so if someone has extraordinary claims, he better come with extraordinary proof."

"I can agree to that … but I can't give you more than my word and what I can show you here."

"Yeah, so far you haven't shown anything that we haven't seen before ... well what you're doing now is new."

Harry studied his hands, turning them to see if he could find anything unusual. "Here, magic feels different – behaves differently."

"You keep saying that – maybe it is, but I'm going to persuade you that science works for you."

Harry gave him a doubtful look. "They really don't mix – they can get explosive."

"If you're saying that magic interferes with electronics … well electronics can interfere with other electronics. Has to do with electromagnetic frequencies or wavelengths – and if you match up the wrong ones – or should I say the right ones - you get interference or worse."

Harry paused to digest this new information. "I'll have to consider that," Harry admitted.

"Even if it turns out that Bruce and I are completely wrong – don't ever tell anyone I said that – science isn't defined by a set of natural laws; it's careful discovery. It's formulating theories and claims based on available data – and possibly changing them to adopt new ideas or new evidence. It's a _way of thinking_."

Tony crouched down beside Harry and picked up a piece of glass and then dropping it before continuing. "We're very good at acknowledging what we don't know and maybe you're part of that, but it doesn't mean that we're going to leave it as an unknown. Maybe we'll never figure it out, but we're going to try. Human history has been plagued with ignorance – and we'd just be going backwards if we didn't try to explore."

Harry chuckled – finally Tony was making sense. "Well, if you're going to describe it that way, then yes, we do share a common way of thinking. Can't say the same about the majority of the magical population, but at least among the Unspeakables."

"Sounds like the untouchables."

Harry scowled. "We're researchers on magic. Our work is classified – ergo no speaking."

"Ah – so what did you work on?"

Harry looked surprised for a moment. He touched his mouth before looking up again. "They're gone. There should be magical constraints – restrictions on how much I say… but I no longer feel them. If they were there, my mouth would automatically shut if I tried."

Tony looked horrified. Harry had a feeling that it wasn't because of his sake, but because Tony imagined it on himself … and how many people would be happy if it did happen. Harry sighed - here was another difference between this world and his.

"Don't ever mention it to anyone," Tony demanded.

Harry didn't think he could cast it, so he easily agreed, "Alright."

"So, about your work?"

"Without going into specifics, I worked on a number of things. I particularly focused on Prophecy, dark magic, and I wanted to study more on the nature of Death, but then I tripped my way here. You know the rest." When Tony opened his mouth to ask about those subjects, Harry shook his head. "It'd take too long to explain." It was obvious to the both of them that Harry just didn't want to talk about his work.

Harry focused back on the door again. It was only half-fixed. With his hand hovering over what remained of the hole, he closed his eyes again and pictured the fragments flying and assembling under his hand. He felt them collecting near his palm and heard the crackling of glass. He gave a small laugh as he opened his eyes - he had done it. Flattening his hand on the door, he felt the coolness and the solidness of the glass.

"Hey can you fix my car?" Tony asked all of a sudden.

Harry rubbed his forehead. "I've never tried it, but are you sure? It could go horribly wrong."

"Can't do worse than what I did to the last one."

"What did you do?"

"Uhh… dropped another one of my vehicles on top."

 _What?_ Harry just dismissed the answer as another one of Tony's eccentricities. He approached the blue car with the white stripes and winced at the dents on the hood. The damage wasn't extremely bad, but to someone critical – like Tony, they might as well be scars.

"Only these right? Is it possible to separate the hood from the rest of the car? As a precaution, I'd like to stay away from the engine and battery."

"How about if I lift the hood up? Is that enough distance?" Tony propped the hood up. The hinge was at the front instead of near the windshield like on other cars.

"Probably."

Harry walked around to the front of the Cobra. His fingers traced the smooth contour of the hood and stopped at a dent. He yawned – the fatigue from the day finally getting to him. He blinked the sleepiness away and wanting to get this done quickly, he just whispered out, " _Reparo_."

It was a mistake.

The metal under his hand popped up and out like it was supposed to ... but it didn't stop there. _Shite._ Harry immediately turned to Tony to gauge his reaction. Tony smacked Harry's hand away to see what had happened. There was a large bump where there was a dent.

"You made it _worse_!"

"I – I can fix it!"

"When I said that you couldn't do worse than me, it wasn't an invitation to try, Harry! I rescind my job offer."

Irritated at Tony and his own magic, Harry replied, "I wasn't looking for another one anyway. Just let me try one more time."

With a glare, Tony just crossed his arms. Harry took it as a go ahead.

Harry breathed in and then out to focus. He placed his hand back on the hood and _gently_ pushed _Reparo_ onto the painted metal. The metal underneath popped back down and smoothed out. Harry slowly moved his hand away and breathed out a sigh of relief. The hood looked alright now.

"Huh – good as new. Not bad," Tony complimented.

"You're welcome." Harry covered his eyes and yawned again when sleepiness returned. "I need to sleep, so if there's nothing else…"

"Nope, nothing else. Oh wait, there is one thing. Call me Tony," he said, sticking his hand out.

"Harry." They both shook hands.

"I'm probably going to break my brain trying to figure out your Frankenstein trick, but it's worth a try."

"I am not wishing you luck on that."

"Who needs luck when I've got _skillz?"_

Harry just gave him an indulging smile. From sheer exhaustion Harry failed to hear DUM-E rolling into the basement until the robot stood next to him. He had forgotten that he had left it upstairs.

"DUM-E, where have you been? I can still donate you to a community college," Tony threatened. The robot just ducked its head. Tony turned back to Harry. "Oh, I forgot. These are Test – " Tony pointed to the furthest robot. "- Crash –" A finger went to the one on his left. " – and you know DUM-E."

Harry gave an uncomfortable smile to the last one. "About DUM-E… why does he keep following me?"

"Oh that's normal for him. He just thinks you're going to spontaneously combust."

Harry's smile froze, and then slipped off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a scientific researcher, science is important to me and something I believe that is commonly misunderstood in the public. I am using Tony as my mouth-piece.  
> In the first Iron Man movie, Tony made the remark of how he feels like he's going to spontaneously combust with DUM-E following him with a fire extinguisher. DUM-E uses the extinguisher on Tony every time he crash lands ... and now it seems DUM-E has the same idea about Harry.


	10. Fools in a Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge spoiler alert for the prequel below – to get everyone more or less on the same page. Had to say it, because I just wanted to avoid questions about why, how, or when something happened. :)

General Nicholas "Nick" Fury was giving Harry a chance to leave – in fact even helping Harry by having him meet the only person Fury knew who could access other universes. The Director of SHIELD wasn't doing this because he was being nice – he didn't do _nice_ – it was because having Harry go back was the simplest solution to what could be a catastrophe.

A folder with SHIELD's emblem was laid in front of his desk. Fury flipped the cover open to skim over photos of an empty coffin, a body bag inside, and the hole in the earth. There were more photos of where John Doe 4134 was found as well as some from the morgue. Fury had purposely left out any photos of Harry Potter – of John Doe the corpse, there were several, but of Harry the _living_ person, none. It was important to leave no trace – no connection between Potter and John Doe.

Fury had ordered Coulson to incinerate all evidence that would link the two.

Fury was giving Harry a chance just like he had taken a chance by accepting Asgard's treaty and recompense for Loki's involvement. By the end, it had turned out well overall – an alliance between the two races was solidified, Stark's competitor weapons company A.I.M. and the Cosmic Cube was now under SHIELD watch, and of all the miracles, Fury was still astounded by the fact that Loki had decided to work with Stark, Banner, and Foster to recreate the Bifrost on Earth.

Fury grabbed another folder on his desk - this one of the freshly built Laser-Interferometer Observatory and Propulsion Technologies. It was mostly Stark property but SHIELD had unofficial connections to it. The facility secretly doubled as the Earth's Bifrost – a sister bridge to the one just rebuilt on Asgard. There had been no contest as to who should be the first Director to the research facility. Jane Foster, who had been one of the first people to meet Thor, now led all personnel inside.

Fury briefly looked through the output charts for the power source behind the bridge: the Cosmic Cube. Good, the gamma radiation from it was minimal. After ransacking the A.I.M. base in Bronx, New York, SHIELD had transported the Cosmic Cube to New Mexico. It was an impressive imitation of the Tesseract, surprisingly by human hands.

He looked through several snap shots of the chamber housing the Cube. On them, his eyes picked up a couple of Stark's robots maintaining the inside of the room. If he remembered correctly, one of them was ridiculously named Butterfingers and the other, Fury had no idea. Stark just kept calling it _you._

Reminded of Stark, Fury couldn't help but to glance at the cameras inside his office. They were hidden, of course, but he remembered a specific point in time when all the cameras on board had been _compromised_ – by Stark. The cameras had been gifted to SHIELD by Tony, which immediately raised red flags, but when all the cameras checked out and came back with no bugs … Fury had grudgingly accepted them.

That had been a mistake. Fury had to grit his teeth and write an entire report about why all the cameras on board the Helicarrier saw through clothes. Tony had claimed it as an extra security feature.

Fury pulled out another folder - this one at the bottom of the stack. It was the psychological profile of one Loki Odinson, carefully compiled by both Agents Romanova and Coulson after watching him over the course of several weeks.

The only reason Fury had even considered allowing Loki back onto Earth was because the trickster had really lived up to his title: God of Mischief and Lies. While the Chitauri and the billions in property damage were real, the human deaths weren't. Behind the scenes, Loki had arranged for a mass illusion, only possible through the generous power boost he received after stealing the Tesseract. What impressed Fury was how the illusion was maintained. Loki had boasted of an army but it wasn't the Chitauri. In the end, it didn't really matter. Coulson had nailed it when he stated that the second Prince of Asgard lacked conviction.

The absence of a death toll didn't fool Fury into thinking that Loki had a reasonable level of respect for human life. The Director figured it had something to do with _power_. Loki had tried to set himself up as the new ruler and what better way to impress and place fear than to show how you could easily take a life and then miraculously return it?

No, Loki had no problems inflicting pain and in some cases enjoyed causing death.

Loki's return back on earth was only after the trickster realized having the Tesseract returned to Odin also endangered Asgard. Loki didn't care about Earth being a battleground, but he did if it concerned Asgard. With the Bifrost destroyed, Asgard was practically cut-off, alone and weakened against the next Chitauri assault. The tricky bastard had pushed for the alliance trying to hide that fact, until Natasha and Coulson had picked up on it. There were very few things that made Fury laugh, that had been one of those moments. He didn't laugh then because the Asgardian Queen, Frigga, had also been present, but it didn't prevent him from replaying that footage and laughing in private.

That had all been months ago. Now the bastard was busy infiltrating the criminal underworld - the part where even his more talented agents had failed. Fury couldn't think of a more suitable person to do that than a half-reformed villain … if Fury could completely trust him. He was only mildly comforted that Loki wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the treaty. Fury's regular correspondence with Queen Frigga helped relieve some of the doubt too.

Fury rubbed his eyes from reading files and reports all day.

He wished Harry the best of luck – because neither Romanova nor Coulson could confidently predict how Loki was going to react.

Fury was giving Harry a chance even after considering the possibility that all of the events starting from Stark's basement experiments could be one elaborate scheme to lure the second Prince of Asgard into the open. SHIELD had been careful to avoid using his name for mainly one reason: to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

* * *

Just because Fury had decided to take a risk in Harry's case, didn't mean he wasn't keeping an eye on the situation. This was why he had ordered Natasha to follow up on Harry. She had purposely lied when she said she was withdrawing from the case.

"You got visual?" Fury asked through her ear piece.

She would shadow this Harry from a distance and while not as good as Hawkeye, her eyes and steady hands were more than capable of using the sniper rifle she had in the trunk of her car. She could get it out and assemble it within seconds.

A pair of binoculars set in front of her face, Natasha watched the three figures inside the glass house.

"Yes."

Both of them knew that the outer walls on Tony's house were bulletproof. Based on construction records she had stolen, Natasha knew that firing several bullets in rapid sequence on the same spot before the metal shutters were activated was a possible way of getting around that problem … or she could wait until they left the house. She was confident that a bullet to the head would be sufficient to handle Harry. Coulson had gotten a shot through and that was with a handgun – comparatively much slower in velocity than her rifle's bullets.

Leaving Harry with Tony and Bruce was a calculated risk, but a reasonable one. Tony might not have the fast reflexes to handle Harry if their guest turned hostile, but JARVIS was more than equipped and it controlled _everything_ in that house. The brief time she had shadowed Tony Stark, she was able to learn that the A.I. would protect its creator and with the security improvements Stark had recently placed into his house, it could become a veritable death trap.

Bruce was hard to take down if he knew ahead of time where a threat was coming from. After spending so much time with Bruce, she knew that he treated everything with caution, including Harry.

"You think, where he's from, he got a stronger variant of the Super Soldier serum?" Fury asked.

Natasha wanted to know the conversations going on in that house, but she would stick with lip-reading for now. She knew Fury could have ordered for Stark's house to be hacked like before when he had sneaked inside to personally meet Tony after Iron Man's identity was revealed ... but Fury needed his superior's permission to use that specific resource again – and he wanted to avoid drawing their attention if possible.

"No, his muscles aren't developed enough. He can't even best me - ," Natasha replied with a frown. " – and I received weaker enhancements decades back."

"What about one which specializes in only tissue regeneration?"

She lowered her binoculars. "Have you seen Phil's report yet?"

"I should be getting it in an hour."

"I read the first few pages … and it's not tissue regeneration. That requires some tissue to still be alive and by the time of the autopsy, several organs had died already."

Fury cursed. "The Super Soldier serum already gives extended life and youth – Rogers being the prime example. At least with you, it's kept confidential as hell, but I'm still dealing with the aftermath of Rogers's inexplicable re-appearance into the public. The military is already trying to reopen that project and don't forget the private companies who are going for it, now that they see it's possible."

"I know," she quietly said. "With Potter here literally coming back from the dead, there're people out there who would tear the world apart to know how."

Natasha wasn't just talking about rich bastards who want to live forever but everyday people. Fear of death was natural, which was why so much money was being pumped into medicine … and on top of that was the notion of saving a loved one. Who wanted to say goodbye to their friends or family? There were people dying every second. If word got out that there was someone who could come back, there would be a massive manhunt - either to destroy Harry because of his _unnaturalness_ or to figure out what made him tick. It had the potential to be a witch-hunt on a grand scale – the whole world.

If SHIELD needed to kill him and keep him dead, then Fury was willing to make that call. He had already decided to close the case even before reading Coulson's report. Any hint of Harry's continued existence needed to end. Fury still hadn't mended his relationship with his superiors after his blunt refusal to fire the nuclear missile and if they found out that he was also keeping this from them, SHIELD was going to get another Director.

Natasha heard some shuffling of paper in the background before Fury stated, "He has an alarming number of abilities."

"I'm certain he was holding back. Phil also broke something of Potter's – said it looked like a wooden baton that could light up. I doubt light is its only function considering that Potter navigated through the Archives with no trouble. I think Phil was joking when he described it like a wand in his report though."

"Doesn't matter. Potter needs to leave – either go back or maybe hand him to the Asgardians. He can't stay here, if he does…"

"Just give me the go ahead and I'll make it happen," Natasha promised with no hesitation.

"And the fact that he doesn't stay dead? He could escape right afterwards."

"Banner admitted that they had to dig him up. It indicates a period of time that he's incapacitated – perfect to kill him again."

Fury paused to take it in. "A container with water or a vacuum – even simply burying would work."

It meant Harry would suffocate or drown repeatedly.

With her binoculars, Natasha zoomed in on Harry who was going up the steps to the upper floor. "It did work, didn't it? I wonder how many times he died in that coffin for lack of air? Or inside the body bag inside the morgue before the burial."

Both knew that it was a cruel fate, but if it was the last option, then they'd do it to preserve the peace. Their jobs weren't nice – the only thing that kept them going was the fact that the world was still turning and moving along.

"We're just not ready."

And Fury was right. The world wasn't ready to discover aliens existed much less other universes - the human race wasn't even ready to deal with its own problems. Add the possibility of immortality – to recover from any injury, even death - and people would kill for it or because of it.

* * *

Harry looked to the side at the folded clothes that Dummy had brought up, minutes after he had entered the bedroom. JARVIS was an excellent host; he had several sets of clothes delivered to the house – all remarkably fitted to Harry's size.

Harry suspected JARVIS could _see_ and hear everything that went in and around the house. "Thank you."

The response was immediate. "You're welcome, Mr. Potter. Do you require additional clothing?"

"No, thank you. There's enough here for a week." Harry hoped that he wouldn't need that much clothing – he didn't plan to stay here for that long anyway. He lifted both stacks of clothes and placed them in a drawer. He changed into a set of cotton pajamas and slipped under the covers and sheets. He closed his eyes as the room darkened and the walls changed transparency to block the daylight. In the next moment, Harry opened his eyes to blackness.

He blinked. Immediately he knew this was not Tony's house. Had he been betrayed? He tried to reach out and his arms couldn't move past several inches away from his sides. Fear stabbed into his heart as he realized he was encased in a thick plastic bag. His movements thudded against the container outside the bag. A sinking feeling grabbed him as he realized that he was lying inside of something made of wood. A coffin?! No! He couldn't have died again. With hands pushing out to distance his face from the plastic, he breathed in and out heavily. Was it his imagination or was it getting harder to breathe?

He had to get out! He didn't know where he was but he assumed going up was a safe direction. Harry apparated ten feet above and re-oriented his body from lying horizontally to standing. Emerging several feet off the ground, he had just enough time to realize this before landing onto his feet and bent knees.

He didn't feel anything. Odd. He looked down at his legs wondering why he didn't feel the shock and pain.

He also couldn't see his feet through the dense layer of swirling white. The ground was covered with it. Harry looked up and saw no sky – it was just empty space. It was the same whatever direction he looked in. How did he get here?

There were no obvious sources of light - only a light glow from the ground. There was also no sign that anyone was here. He called out anyway.

"Hello?"

Nothing. His voice didn't even echo.

He tried again. "Sphinx?"

Nothing again. He thought she would have at least responded if she was here.

Barefoot, he couldn't tell what he was standing on. His feet couldn't feel anything either – he had expected a chill from a place such as this. He bent down and tried to wave the fog away.

It passed through his hand. Not his hand passed through it – but the circling plumes had actually gone through his hands. What was going on? First he had been trapped, the feel of the plastic had felt real under his hands and now he was feeling and touching nothing. The confusion led way to ire. He felt like he was being toyed with. Every time he woke up, he was in someplace new.

He didn't have long to stew in his anger as he was suddenly knocked back by an invisible hand. He lost his balance and tumbled down. He felt like he was falling off the edge of the world as he was enveloped in darkness. There was no wind to indicate how fast he was moving, but there was _something_ dragging him down.

He slammed back into the white bedroom and gasped at the impact. He opened his eyes to see the fuzzy outline of Dummy's frame hovering over him. The robot had stolen into his bedroom in his sleep.

"Dummy, not right now." He impatiently pushed Dummy away, sat up, and felt around for his glasses on the night stand. Harry looked around and saw that he was still neatly underneath the covers.

It had all been a _dream_. It had all been a dream, he repeated. Relief flushed through him.

Haunted by what he had seen, he quickly kicked off the covers and changed his clothes while checking the moving numbers on top of the night stand. He had been surprised at first that it was a touch screen serving as a table. It read eight at night – barely enough sleep, but he couldn't stand being in bed anymore.

He left Dummy in the room and with rapid steps, descended down to the ground floor. He slowed down when he heard voices. Tony and another red-headed woman was at the door – bickering. Bruce was also standing to the side and when he noticed Harry at the bottom of the steps, he smiled and put a finger in front of his mouth to request silence.

Tony tried to wrap an arm around the woman's waist. "Pepper! I meant to call you –"

"Last night." She pushed his arm away.

" – yes, last night but I was busy– "

She crossed her arms. "Busy playing."

" – no, not playing but helping," Tony insisted.

Her face clearly showed her doubt. "You were supposed to sign these documents by last night, instead you bought the trademark rights to the words _Avengers Assemble_ and _Earth's Mightiest Heroes_."

Bruce quietly coughed into his hand to cover the laugh.

"I needed it for the movie and do we really need more artwork … " Tony trailed off when Pepper's glare deepened. "I completely agree Pepper, we need more art around the tower." Pepper was still trying to rebuild the collection after Tony had thoughtlessly donated the last one to the Boy Scouts.

She slapped the folder to his chest, clicked the pen for him, and held it in front of his face. He gave a weak smile and signed the bottom of the page barely looking down. When he actually did, Pepper quickly snatched it from him and turned around to go back into the limousine.

Tony stood still for a moment before chasing after her. The documents didn't look like purchase forms for any artwork. "Pepper, what did I sign?"

Harry was impressed. So this was the woman who could handle Tony Stark. Her words were just as quick and she possessed the sharp wit to match Stark's.

Bruce joined him at the bottom of the stairs. "All of that is normal. She's Virginia Potts – she goes by Pepper Potts though. They practically run Stark Industries together."

Harry remembered what Tony had said earlier today. "Oh you mean that thing with the clean energy source?"

"Yes, one of the major focuses." Bruce pointed in the direction of the kitchen area. "You're up early – or should I say late? Anyway, I had some groceries delivered. Hungry?"

Still shaken from his dream, Harry shook his head no. "I'll get some water."

Harry followed Bruce into the kitchen and sat on a bar stool at the counter. Distracted about his dream still, Harry forgot about the water until Bruce slid a glass in front of him.

"Thanks." Wanting to get his mind away from the disturbing dream, Harry decided to think of his friends back home. The thought of his tracking spell which had located the Hermione here popped into his mind.

Tony walked in on the quiet scene, noticed the groceries, and began riffling through the bags. "I didn't know you cooked."

"The food's only enough for a meal or two. Anyway, living in places like Brazil and India – I had to," Bruce answered.

"Why'd you move back here?" Harry asked. It was supposed to be a simple question, but the pause indicated otherwise.

"I was told that I was needed, and so I came," was Bruce's short reply.

Tony finally found something he liked and pulled out a box of crackers. "Bruce's work on anti-electron collisions is really un-paralleled," Tony complimented before he popped in a cracker into his mouth. "I couldn't let that brain power get away, so now he works for me."

Bruce shrugged in a way that showed it was more or less true.

Tony looked to Bruce and asked, "When was the last time you left the tower? Months?"

"It hasn't been months," Bruce defended.

"Any longer, and I'll start calling you Rapunzel."

"And you're supposed to be Prince Charming?" Harry accused.

"Absolutely not. I don't go prancing around on a horse. Please, I have more style than that."

Harry chuckled and drank some of the water from his glass. He thought back again of home and an idea formed.

"I want to ask for a favor," Harry said. "Nothing bad or expensive, I think."

Tony leaned on the counter. "I don't want to promise you anything before I hear what it is."

"You said that you're good at finding people. I'm curious about one person."

"A friend from home?" Bruce asked, while he put together a sandwich.

"Yes, I just thought that this might be my last chance to find her counterpart here."

Tony didn't miss the fact that Harry was referring to a female friend. " _Special_ friend?"

"Not like that. One of my good friends. It'd be great to tell her how she's like here in this world."

"I don't see the problem, sure. Her name?"

"Hermione Jean Granger." As soon as Harry said her name, he felt a strange slowness. He looked to Bruce and Tony, who didn't seem bothered at all. It was heaviness in the air only he could sense – wrapping around him. When he blinked, it passed and was gone.

Tony pulled out his phone and started swiping and pressing on the screen. "A general search should be sufficient to pull up matches. Huh – only one. Born September 19, 1979 – "

"That's her!" Harry exclaimed – the discovery distracting him from that fleeting heaviness.

" – and is deceased," Tony finished.

"That – that can't be right." He had found her with the Point Me spell. Did she just die? He slumped back in his seat at the missed opportunity. There wasn't a lot he could have done, but he still felt an odd sense of loss for someone he didn't even know.

Tony moved his fingers – going through several documents. "I've got her birth certificate, school records, and the death certificate here. I'm sorry; she died in 1990 in a car accident. Newspaper articles on the accident - "

Harry sat up straight immediately – on the edge of the seat. "That's not possible. She was alive yesterday night."

"How do you know? Did you actually see her?" Tony pressed.

Harry hadn't told them about his wand – or what was left of it. He didn't think it was necessary to tell them. "I was able to magically track her. I know she's northeast of here, but I don't know how far."

"Is it possible that you tracked her remains?" Bruce suggested.

Harry shook his head. "No, I created this spell. I know it doesn't."

"You said things were different here. What if this is another one of those differences?"

Harry couldn't argue with that logic. Maybe this Hermione was gone. He had thought to ask about his other friends' alternate versions after Hermione's, but after finding out about her death, he didn't want to anymore – at least not now. And what was that feeling back then? It had felt familiar.

* * *

Tony wasn't a fool. He was immature, arrogant, and impulsive, but he wasn't a fool. Everyone thought that he was just playing around with the movie idea but he wasn't. It might have started off as a joke to piss off Fury, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He was a businessman and the CEO of a billion-dollar empire – and he understood the _power_ behind the image of a product.

The Avengers – the heroes – desperately needed a good image.

After the world witnessed the might of the Avengers, people scrambled to deal with the aftermath and the long term consequences of having such powerhouses loose. The subpoena that U.S. Marshall had served him and Senator Stern's demand of the turnover of the Iron Man suit was only the beginning. Now, the whole world was involved and it had become a political and public struggle.

Tony pulled out his phone again from his trouser pocket and watched the screen. He sat in a way to hide what he was watching from Bruce and Harry. The sounds were sent directly to his Bluetooth ear piece.

On the screen, there was a news broadcast championing a bipartisan Congressional proposal.

"Senator Stern and Senator Kelly, co-sponsors of Senate Bill 141 colloquially known as the Superhuman Registration Act, have gathered a lot of attention these past few days," the newswoman reported. Playback of a speech given by the two senators was momentarily displayed, accompanied by a round of applause from the crowd.

"Based on Gallup polls, the public is torn with a slight majority in favor of the bill. It will be up for a vote on the Senate floor in a number of weeks." This time, scenes from a rally supporting the bill was shown.

"Both senators have declined our requests for an interview - " Tony turned off the sound.

Tony actually didn't mind revealing his identity. His personality wouldn't allow him to hide behind the _bodyguard_ story, but … Tony glanced worriedly at Bruce. Sure, he thought making Bruce mad and Hulk-ing out would be funny once in a while, but people like Bruce wouldn't be able to handle being out in the open. Still, the bill wasn't all bad. In its most innocuous form, the bill could help people with special abilities adjust, protect them … but it had the potential to be abused.

It all came down to fear and trust.

Tony narrowed his eyes as the crowd clapped again. He had hoped for something like Steve's Captain America popularity back in the 1940's. There were posters, promotional videos and toys made in Captain America's image. The public had loved him, had adored him – he was the darling of that era. If he had remained _dead_ , he would have kept his iconic martyr status. That kind of popularity was difficult to gain, but it might have worked here and now.

The movie idea had come too late… or maybe people were just more fearful. Stern and Kelly certainly weren't helping. They've gotten the bill packaged in a neat little bow proclaiming that it was good for both sides. Tony wanted to scream it was all irrational fear and speculation. Whatever it was, Tony was losing this dangerous game.

They were all losing.

It wasn't just the Avengers, if he believed everything that JARVIS had discretely pilfered from the SHIELD database, there had always been special people – all hiding low ... or kept low by SHIELD. JARVIS wasn't able to get any more information though.

Tony was going to _chat_ with JARVIS later; the speed at which SHIELD blocked JARVIS from stealing more information was alarming. He wasn't able to hack in like he had done with the Helicarrier anymore. Ever since Coulson had somehow performed that override on the private elevator in Stark tower, Tony and JARVIS have been trying to figure out how. There was also that time when Natasha was able to access the security around the Iron Man suits. In that doughnut shop, she was able to counter Tony's lies about Rhodey's taking of the War Machine suit and how there were redundancies to prevent unauthorized usage. He had also pretended to not notice the fact that she had tracked his vitals from inside the suit when he was busy destroying Hammer's drones.

How the _hell_ had she done that?! SHIELD was withholding something big from him – it had to be, to be able to go around JARVIS.

* * *

A pair of green eyes focused and adjusted to the dim lighting in the room. His jaw clenched as he fumed in his anger.

There was another teleporter somewhere on Midgard. That didn't concern him so much as the strong shifts in the dimensions he had been feeling over the past several days. Powerful shifts - too powerful. _Now_ he had another mystery.

There had been an intruder – and the damn trespasser had brought _time_ with him! An outsider guised as a human boy – who was summarily kicked out upon detection.

So many events happening … perhaps they were all connected. He grimaced. If they were - he reached around to his lower back to trace the handle of the dagger hidden underneath his coat – then he had a dark practitioner to hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For someone who was once a military contractor, Tony should be extremely disturbed by the security breaches SHIELD performs throughout the Iron Man movies and Avengers.   
> The story just got darker but I think more realistic – as realistic as a story can get with magic and movie/comic-book physics. O_O  
> In the comic-verse, the Cosmic Cube and the Tesseract is the same thing – well there's more, but I won't go into it. I've left the Tesseract an Asgardian artifact as the movies had it, but in the prequel I also introduced the Cosmic Cube as an A.I.M. invention like in the comics.


	11. Test Flight

It had become a game. A friendly game with Harry on one side, Bruce and Tony on the other. There were no points involved; no winners or losers. It had started when Tony met the other two downstairs in the kitchen that morning and stood in front of Harry and said one word, "Wormholes."

"Good morning to you too," Harry answered after a pause. Seated on a bar stool, Harry hadn't understood Tony's greeting and turned to Bruce, who only shrugged back and returned to cracking a couple of eggs for an omelet. "Is this a password for something?" Harry guessed.

"Your teleportation or Apparition – wormholes. Going from one Plank-level black hole to the other instantly."

"So you're trying to guess what they are? Your equivalents?"

Tony grinned. "Equivalents or the same thing - doesn't matter. Give me something else."

With Dummy next to him, Harry was reminded of Dobby again.

"House elves."

"Are we talking about Keebler elves? Tolkien elves?" Tony tried to get a clarification.

Harry couldn't answer those questions, so instead he held his hand to about knee level.

"Throw me something else if you're just talking about small people with pointed ears," Tony waved away the challenge.

Harry wanted to explain that house elves were some of the strongest magic users, but then Tony and he would get into another argument about magic again. Harry turned to Bruce who had a contemplative look on his face. When Bruce remained silent, Harry tossed out what he thought was an impressive example of the magical world. "Dragons."

"Seriously?" Tony asked excitedly. "Do you have the Thu'um?"

"What's that?" Harry asked as he got off the stool and helped Bruce wash some spinach. He didn't want to be useless and letting Bruce do all the work didn't sit right with him.

"Dragon tongue."

Paused with the spinach over the sink, Harry asked incredulously, "You have dragons here?"

"No… but we did have huge flying worms as big as skyscrapers rain down in New York last year. It might have ended world hunger for a day if the things were edible."

Harry couldn't tell if Tony was serious or not. Harry looked like he had swallowed something distasteful when all he could imagine was massive flobberworms falling from the sky. A glance towards Bruce who didn't deny it, made Harry think Tony was really telling the truth. This world didn't sound as mundane as he had thought.

Bruce looked up after adding the spinach into the omelet and asked, "How are dragons different from dinosaurs?"

"Fire-breathing dragons," Harry amended.

Bruce and Tony turned to each other for a moment, before Bruce suggested, "It doesn't seem that implausible for something to produce a flammable material and maybe have a special organ for sparks?"

Harry gave them a look to indicate that there was more to dragons than just that, but he went along with the game and suggested another. "Flying brooms."

"Really?" Tony asked as he stole the omelet from Bruce. For a moment, Harry thought Bruce's eyes had gained a greenish tint. Harry didn't miss the way Tony tried to place Dummy between himself and Bruce. " _Now_ you're angry? You showed nothing with that electric shock back in the Helicarrier!"

Bruce only smiled in response and turned around to crack another egg. "So, Harry … about brooms?"

Harry took that as a sign to continue. "It can fly as fast as your automobiles can drive."

"Magnetic? There is that hovering – levitation effect," Tony thought out loud. "The Maglev train system in Japan clocked almost 600km/hr or about 360mph."

"I don't think our brooms can match that speed yet, but I'm sure it's more maneuverable. Alright, how about sticking charm?" Harry was quick to add, "Not with glue."

Bruce tapped his chin. "I'm assuming not gravitational force since that requires large masses to actually have a noticeable effect."

Tony snapped his fingers. "Van der waals forces! Increasing the surface area can increase the attractive force between two objects. It's already in research."

Harry was starting to have fun. It was clear both Bruce and Tony were experts. "Alchemy – turning lead to gold."

"Nuclear fission," Bruce answered automatically. "Well usually from much heavier elements into lighter ones. I do admit that we currently have no way of efficiently removing the extra protons and neutrons from lead to form gold. That reminds me, when we go see Jane, she might have an idea on one of your Exceptions to Gamp's Law."

Tony furrowed his brow. "I've never heard of this law before." When neither Bruce nor Harry explained further, Tony stuffed another bite of the omelet into his mouth in annoyance.

Harry smiled; it felt good confusing Tony for once. "Time travel?"

"Achieving the speed of light stops time for you," Bruce suggested. He slid a cooked omelet onto a plate and placed it in front of Harry.

"Thank you," Harry said as he found a fork in a drawer.

Tony pointed up. "Yeah, that's why satellite systems adjust for the slight time difference because they go so fast."

"How about going backwards in time?" Harry pushed. He'd definitely look into these topics when he got back home.

"I think with enough gravitation – you might want to ask Jane about that," Bruce replied, making another omelet.

"Werewolves."

Tony immediately turned to Bruce, who slowly requested a, "Pass."

There was no way Harry missed how Bruce's normally open face had closed down. What was this world's version of a werewolf? He also remembered Bruce's earlier statement about being invulnerable. Perhaps they were connected. Harry wondered if what Bruce was talking about maybe something like the natural magic resistance on dragon skin.

"Inferi - undead," Harry whispered out – starting to get worried. What else did this world have?

"I don't think we have anything like that," Bruce softly said. "I don't think you want us to figure it out either."

Harry was relieved there was nothing like the inferi here.

"Zombie apocalypse," Tony added with a shiver.

Harry faced Tony with an anxious look. "Isn't that similar to what you said you were searching for yesterday? Your own Frankenstein?"

"To bring someone back – like they were before, not sown in pieces or an empty moving corpse."

"Like they were before … " Harry hollowly repeated. Even magic wasn't capable and yet, he had defied even that limitation… maybe he _didn't_ defy it – at least not completely, because Harry wasn't sure if he was the same as before.

Coulson saved them from the uncomfortable silence. In a pressed black suit, he had entered the house with no opposition from JARVIS again. Tony scowled at the intrusion.

"Ready to go?" Coulson asked.

"We're about done. Let me just clean this up," Bruce replied when no one else said anything.

The game was suspended for now.

* * *

Jane Foster checked the security cameras around the Cube one more time before she picked up her keys. Every day she would make sure that Tony's bots were okay. She had grown fond of them and would sometimes pat them on the head. They seemed to like the attention.

She switched off her desk lamp and was about to leave her office when she remembered something. She turned around and grabbed her coffee – she almost forgot it. Jane locked her office and approached the young woman at the desk a few feet away.

Darcy Lewis was fresh out of college with a degree in political science; she was also Jane's first choice as an assistant. Not that Darcy understood astrophysics like Jane did, but the girl had been with her and Eric Selvig when they had first encountered Thor. Darcy had immediately accepted the job offer, claiming an interest in the politics that were sure to emerge between the two races. Being the more socially conscious of the two, Darcy was also in charge of Jane's wardrobe and public appearances as Director of a prominent research facility.

"Darcy, I'm heading out. I'll be back in about an hour or so."

"Sure," was the quick response. Blue eyes looked up from the monitor to settle on Jane. "And, don't run him over."

Jane was instantly defensive. "I'm not going to run him over – " She paused to reluctantly admit, " - again."

Darcy just shrugged. "I'm not worried for him. He'll be fine, but you'll total your new car."

Jane just gave an exasperated sigh and left the building. As she stepped out into the hot sun, she couldn't hold back the bounce in her step. She couldn't wait to see Thor again. She reached into her pocket to feel the texture of the hand-pressed paper note that was left at her desk yesterday. It had the time and place written in Thor's hand. He signed it with a drawing of a hammer-shaped symbol.

As she was driving to the spot where she had first met him, she couldn't help thinking that her situation definitely fit the long-distance relationship category. She parked her car and checked the skies. When she went back into her car to grab a pair of sunglasses, she felt the car shake a little before a cloud of dirt and dust blew out towards her. She quickly closed the car door to prevent any of it from getting in.

"Jane?" a strong voice asked.

"Yeah, just one moment. I want the dust to clear first – I just bought this car and I don't want any of it in here."

When the dust cloud finally settled, she couldn't help the small laugh as she looked at Thor's rumpled appearance and wind-tossed hair. The heir apparent to the Asgardian throne was wearing Freyja's feathered cloak over his familiar armored vest, which meant that he had journeyed across Yggdrasil again. A shadow passed over her as she opened the door. It was Muninn, one of Odin's messenger ravens sent out today to guide Thor back to Midgard. It fluttered over and perched on Thor's shoulder.

"I still remember Tony calling you a parakeet – something about moving up from your mother's drapes," Jane teased as she got out of her car.

In response, Thor quickly removed the cloak, folded it over his arm and smiled. He strode forward and with calloused fingers, brought her hand to his lips to kiss it. "I do not have much time. Father will notice my absence if I stay too long."

"Sneaking around with the cloak so you don't have to use the Bifrost - people will eventually find out even if it is the quieter option." Jane nodded towards Muninn. "Anyway, how did you get him to play hookie with you?"

"Muninn was recently gifted to me. Huginn, its twin, still remains by my father's side."

Jane grew pensive. "You know, eventually, _he's_ going to find out about us. Between the ravens and Heimdall, how can he not?"

Thor's blue eyes looked down for a moment before firmly focusing back on her. "My father may not approve but he is too dignified to eavesdrop on us. It does not mean he is unaware … unfortunately, I am not gifted in illusions. This will have to do for now."

Jane frowned but she agreed with him. This wasn't the time to be discussing about personal matters anyway. She pulled out the folded paper in her pocket. "I got your note almost as soon as I sent the signal. Heimdall doesn't miss a thing does he?"

"His duties include observing you and Midgard's Bifrost. He notified me immediately when he detected your signal."

She gestured to the note. "Muninn dropped in my office then?"

"Yes."

Jane turned to the raven. She didn't think he would appreciate a pat on the head – just from looking at its beady eyes, she thought it was more likely to bite her hand, so she said, "Thank you." It didn't look like it cared.

"I heard that you have need of my brother."

"Tony found someone –" Jane stopped when Thor's brow creased in worry.

"Heimdall has made me aware. Is this newcomer trustworthy?"

Jane frowned. Thor wasn't usually suspicious of new people. "Is there something wrong?"

"Heimdall seems troubled by him. He did not explain but mentioned something about dark magic. He did support your people's decision to have Loki confront the newcomer."

"Alright, this requires some explaining. What do you mean _dark_ _magic_?"

"I will explain while we ride in your vehicle."

Jane checked her watch. "Fine, they're coming here – right now. Come on, we're going to Tony's private air strip."

Thor nodded and then turned to Muninn. "Fly and fetch my brother."

"He _doesn't_ know yet?" Jane asked in surprise, hand posed over the door handle.

Worry creased Thor's face before he admitted, "Loki knows of him, but not his whereabouts – it is to prevent him from locating the newcomer and engaging him prematurely."

"Why? You make it sound like it's a life and death thing … " When Thor's expression didn't change, Jane gasped. "Oh my god, it is, isn't it?"

Thor only opened the driver-side door for her and didn't answer. He didn't need to answer.

* * *

Harry tried – really tried – to be angry at Coulson, but he couldn't. He was annoyed certainly, but the easy attitude from the agent gradually won him over. Coulson was the reason his wand was broken and he was handicapped from using his more intricate spells, but the man had broken it thinking it was a gun. Coulson was a heavily trained muggle who had decided to respond non-lethally; the first shot that went through could have easily gone to Harry's head instead of his wand. Harry could respect that. He didn't even consider his head an option – just because he came back twice, didn't mean he should depend on it. He didn't want to depend on it.

He glanced to the side at Coulson again who had insisted on driving to Tony's private jet. With Bruce and Harry agreeing to it, Tony was outvoted from driving his new Tesla Roadster. The only reason Tony got in Coulson's sedan in the first place was because the agent had threatened to taze him – with a smile. It didn't look like it was the first time that threat was used. Harry didn't have to turn around to look in the back seat to feel the unhappiness radiating from Tony.

Harry preferred it this way; he could relax in his seat and listen to the music playing inside the car. As opposed to Tony's metal rock (which Harry thought only encouraged Tony to drive faster), Coulson preferred a mixture of jazz and swing. Harry found himself nodding to the upbeat rhythm of the song. He looked at the dashboard and read the song information. _Topsy_ by The Manhattan Transfer.

As their car drove into the private air strip, Harry looked through the window to marvel at Tony's jet. He wasn't new to the idea of airplanes but it had always impressed him how muggles figured out a way to fly with such huge chunks of metal. The jet was shiny white with Stark's name proudly and boldly displayed in black. She was attended by a minimal crew dressed in jumpsuits.

Coulson parked the car and set his sunglasses on his face before opening the door. Harry exited the car with a hand covering his eyes from the sun. One of the crew broke away from the group and greeted Tony with a formal "Mr. Stark" and began to unload the luggage from Coulson's trunk. Tony responded with a nod and proceeded to climb up the stairs into the jet. Coulson just picked up his briefcase from the trunk and followed Tony inside without a word.

As Harry only had a small bag with a few days of clothing, he felt the crewman's presence unnecessary. Besides, he wasn't used to other people handling his things and had even made a point to do everything himself back in the Department of Mysteries.

"Here, let me take that," Harry offered with an outstretched hand. "I can take two."

The crewman was stunned and had an uncertain look on his weathered face. Harry thought the man acted a bit shifty. "It's my job to load and unload all cargo, sir."

Bruce stood to the side and picked up Harry's bag. "How about a compromise? Here, just take your bag and we'll be on our way."

Harry let it go, took the bag from Bruce, and started to walk across the pavement to the jet. He took one more glance back at the crewman who was busy loading mostly Tony's luggage into a motorized cart. Harry didn't think there were that many bags when they had first loaded them into the trunk. He let it go as he entered the plane.

Harry was hit with a ballooning feeling in his chest as soon as he stepped into Tony's private jet. The feeling was subtle. He didn't know if it was good or bad. He reasoned it was only nervousness.

Bruce brought him back to reality when he asked from behind, "You okay?"

Harry shook himself, walked through the aisle, and sat down on a cream-colored leather seat. He gave the first reasonable excuse he thought of. "Yes, just a little nervous, I've never been on a plane before."

"She flies smoothly – custom ordered the engines and turbines from Lockheed Martin and Boeing – before I stole some of their engineers," Tony admitted with a grin, already strapped into a seat. "JARVIS is flying us. I replaced the pilot for today to see how he can handle the plane."

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"He passed all the flight simulations," Tony continued to assure everyone.

"Tony, were the flight simulations, ones _you_ could pass?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, that's how I know we'll be fine."

All Harry could do was make sure the seat belt was secure.

* * *

Deputy Director Maria Hill only ran through the Helicarrier when things were about to go horribly wrong. This counted as one. As soon as she saw the message on her screen, she printed the attachments and sprinted out from her office. She couldn't call Fury and had to find him instead. It wasn't difficult since she knew where he was at all times.

"Sir!" Hill called out to Fury. It was futile as he had his ears covered to lower the hundred plus decibels coming from his handgun. He fired two more shots into the paper target before Hill, with hands over her ears, reached his stall.

Seeing Hill in the corner of his eye, Fury removed the clip from the gun, laid them down on the counter, and removed his ear muffs. He took one look at her and said, "Dammit, I was having a good day."

"We got a situation," Hill started. Fury could guess that much. She began to hand him documents. Before speaking again, she made sure her voice was loud enough as the ventilation system kicked in. "Our mole in Homeland Security discovered this." Fury looked through the documents as Hill continued. "Major red flags yesterday but it was kept quiet. Looks like it was sent directly to the Council."

Fury skimmed through and looked up when he saw a name he recognized. "Someone had searched for Granger."

"Yes, her records were hacked into and accessed as well."

"Who would look into Granger?" Fury asked himself.

"Sir, the hacker wasn't careful enough … probably because he didn't think it was a big deal to look into her records."

Fury could tell that his day was completely ruined when Hill tried to make excuses for the perpetrator. "Shit's about to hit the fan?"

"The World Security Council knows it's Stark."

"Of course, it's Stark," Fury growled as he exited the shooting range. His hand in a fist, Fury wished that it was Tony's neck he was squeezing. "You have command here. I'm going to New Mexico."

* * *

Harry was bored. He'd been bored for the past half-hour. The lift off was exactly how Tony described: smooth. After that, he had looked around the cabin and the amenities inside. There wasn't a lot to look at so after a while he just sat there with nothing to do. He couldn't sleep either, fully aware and a little thrilled that he was flying 30,000 feet in the air. Flying on a plane wasn't the same as on a broom but it still provided a spectacular view while they had been ascending. Harry decided that the first thing he was going to do when he got back was to push the height limits on his latest broom.

He surreptitiously glanced at each person. All of them had a laptop out – or in Tony's case his holograms projected from a portable devise on his lap. Harry had kept silent because all of them had looked like they were busy at work; he didn't fault them for the lack of conversation. It was a different side of them that he hadn't seen before.

Glasses on his nose, Bruce had zoned everyone out to read something on his screen. Coulson looked like he was typing something. Harry thought the clacking of the keys fell into a rhythm – one that matched the beat Coulson's foot was tapping to.

Coulson was the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry again about breaking your …?"

Harry closed his eyes, already anticipating Tony's reaction. He wondered how Coulson was going to respond to the magic talk. "My wand. I'll have Ollivander look at it when I return."

Coulson only smiled as he closed his laptop - amusement on his face upon hearing _wand._ Harry knew Coulson started the conversation on purpose. Harry wasn't trying to hide anything anymore but he realized by posing the question in front of Tony and Bruce, Coulson was subtly pushing for more answers. Coulson had just manipulated Tony to ask the questions for him.

Tony leaned forward, momentarily distracted from reviewing contracts. "I must have misheard. Your what?"

"Wand."

"You have a wand? Like magic wand?"

"I told you it was magic."

Tony shook his head. "Jury's still out about that. Even if it is, I'm sure we can incorporate your laws into ours. You have it on you?"

Harry thought about it for a moment before pulling his wand halves out from inside his coat. He placed them in Tony's outstretched hand. "Please be careful."

"So this was what was producing that strange field…" Tony said as he inspected the wood. He looked up when Harry turned around to ask about the field. "I searched you the first time you landed in my house. JARVIS told me of a field around you and so I started looking for any electronics on you. I found your wand but didn't think much of it at first. You woke up soon after that."

Harry frowned at the thought of being unknowingly searched. Tony unbuckled his seat belt to tap Bruce on the shoulder. Bruce shook himself as he lost his concentration and asked, "Yes?"

"Bruce, what do you make of this?"

Bruce pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "What is it?"

"Magic wand – well broken obviously."

Bruce didn't touch the Holly wood but noticed the hollowed out portion. "Harry, is there something inside the Holly?"

Harry was surprised Bruce could identify the tree from just the wood. "Phoenix feather."

Tony looked up at Harry. "A feather from a _real_ phoenix? As in that mythological bird symbolizing rebirth?"

"Yes. They go through cycles of burning up and reappearing as a chick in their ashes."

"So why are you surprised that you can do it? Come back from the dead I mean."

"They don't really die on their burning day. They don't pass on but transfigure themselves a new body –" Harry noticed their confusion when he said an unfamiliar term. " - err, change into new bodies."

Tony lifted the handle to eye level. "What can you do with a wand? I'm assuming you can do more with it than what we've seen you do so far."

"Yes, it's the main tool of all witches and wizards. While not necessary for every spell, it does ease the casting." Harry had to think for a few seconds; his mind was overcrowded with what he could say about a wand. "Well, what one can do with a wand falls into two categories: Transfiguration or Charms. Transfiguration can be described as changing an object to another one. Charms change a property of an object."

Bruce closed his eyes and leaned on the arm rest. "Those two should be connected. To change something into another means that you're changing the properties as well. This can be conceptualized as the form of an object leading to the function of said object."

"Yes they are connected. Transfiguration is seen as the higher and more difficult of the two to cast because it does simultaneously change form and function of an object."

Tony turned off his holograms and set the devise to the side. "Your magic follows rules, as you had stated before – Gamp's right? What if your magic represents an undiscovered set of natural laws?"

" _Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic_."

It was the second time Coulson had spoken on the jet. Tony looked shocked. "Agent, you just quoted Arthur C. Clarke's Third Law." It also looked like Tony might have found a friend in Coulson.

"We can speculate all we want but unless we study it in your world, I don't think we're going to figure this out. Too bad we can't come and visit wherever you come from," Bruce commented. "Your universe sounds very interesting. Perhaps it does work differently than ours, perhaps it doesn't – either way, interesting."

Harry smiled as he thought back to when Hagrid had introduced him to magic for the first time. It wasn't just interesting, it was _wonderful_. His love of magic had stayed with him.

Harry leaned forward to retrieve his wand halves from Tony. Curiosity about who he was meeting took a hold of him. "Your world has its share of wonders too. I'd like to know how you've achieved your extended life-span. A thousand years -"

Tony interrupted them when he pointed to his own seatbelt and declared, "We're leaving cruising altitude soon, so buckle up."

"We've arrived?" Harry asked, stretching his legs.

"Destination in ten minutes," JARVIS stated through the intercom.

Tony frowned. "Are we _early_? JARVIS, you're ruining my image."

As the plane gradually dropped altitude, Harry felt the pressure in his ears increase. He held his breath and tried to pop out his ears.

It wasn't the only thing that popped out.

With a _boom,_ the plane lurched and then started to rumble. It was his first plane flight, but Harry knew instantly something was wrong.

"JARVIS?" Tony called out.

"Sir, an explosion in the fuselage has dislodged the undercarriage."

Tony cursed. "We can't land – "

"Harry! You can teleport," Bruce reminded. Objects, that weren't bolted down, slid off and were tossed about.

Harry caught a pen that had been flying towards him. He would have to Side-Along Apparate with _three_ others, but he was sure he could do it - had to do it. "I'm aware of that, but I need to be in contact with all of you."

"You can teleport all of us?"

Harry felt insulted. "You thought I would just save myself?"

Harry held onto the armrests as another violent shudder ran through the plane. He felt the plane dipping even more in the turbulence.

JARVIS continued with his report. "The undercarriage collided with the tail –"

"I know JARVIS! We just lost the horizontal stabilizer! Launch Mark IX!" Tony commanded as he removed his seat-belt and tried to get up from his seat.

With a trembling creak, the floor cracked and the carpeting ripped apart. The plane was being split into two: Coulson and Bruce on the tail side and Harry and Tony on the cockpit side. Harry blinked when the wind kicked his hair into his eyes. In the next moment the plane was wrenched apart.

Harry had only a second to see Bruce's terrified _green_ eyes before the tail end of the plane dropped away. Out of his seat, Tony fell onto the floor and rolled off over the edge.

Harry didn't think – he just unbuckled his seat-belt and jumped off after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The World Security Council is the group of geniuses who had ordered the nuclear missile to Manhattan in the Avengers movie (that was sarcasm when I called them geniuses btw).  
> The kitchen game scene is very heavy on real science. The point isn't to disillusion you on Harry's magic, but to expand your knowledge on what's possible in the real world – which is a lot.  
> Freyja's cloak is an item from Norse mythology which allowed the wearer to travel to different realms. I thought it was a good explanation for how Thor got back to Earth in the Avengers movie. Muninn and Huginn are Odin's twin ravens from mythology.


	12. Yellow Brick Road

If the situation wasn't so dire, Jane would laugh at the way Thor was squeezed inside her car. His head almost touched the ceiling and his long legs bent more sharply than was comfortable.

"Well, what is this dark magic? I remember very distinctly – when we were on the rooftop in Puente Antiguo – that you said magic and science are one and the same."

Jane took her eyes off the road a moment to glance quickly at Thor. She could tell that he wasn't sure if he should inform her. She suspected it had something to do with giving Asgard's advanced technology or knowledge to humans.

"One who uses dark magic is a very powerful individual – but this particular energy is volatile. Difficult to control and ultimately dangerous to all. For this reason, it is forbidden."

"I don't understand. You just described energy in general – anything's dangerous in massive quantities."

"It is not physically accessible from this plane of existence. It - I may have said too much already."

Jane gave him a disappointed look, but she could use what was said already. She had a good guess of what this dark magic could be. Before she could ask more, she felt something hitting her car from the back. She looked in her rear-view mirror – and a pair of narrowed blue eyes stared back.

"Yes, too much was spoken."

Jane slammed on her breaks – her car sliding forward as the wheels locked in place. With a squawk, something in black flew from the back to the front, smacked into the windshield, and plopped almost pitifully into Thor's lap. The car that had been behind her screeched to a halt as well – then angrily honked at her. It swerved around her and a finger was stuck out the window. Jane cursed quietly – she wasn't sure if she wanted it directed towards the driver or her new passenger sitting in the back – both, she decided.

Jane spared one look at the poor raven limply lying in Thor's hands. It didn't look dead, Jane thought with relief. If Muninn didn't dislike her before, the bird probably did now. She turned around in her seat to glare at the figure who was sitting almost leisurely in the backseat.

The passenger was immune to Jane's glare. "I demand the reason for hiding him from me."

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Jane said through gritted teeth.

It was a stern-looking woman with straight black hair and cold eyes, but then her features started to blur and change right in front of Jane's eyes. Where a slender woman had been, there was now a tall man reclining in the back of her car. His accusing eyes belied his relaxed posture.

"Brother, a warning would have been appreciated," Thor admonished him while trying to poke Muninn awake.

Loki ignored Thor's words. "Another teleporter does not require this much secrecy." He faced Thor before continuing. "Your presence here … you are aware then?"

Thor reluctantly nodded.

Loki had waited for Thor to confirm it before he spat out, "Is it this teleporter? Concealing a dark practitioner, Thor? Such a worthy endeavor by Asgard's future King."

Irritated by Loki's slight, Thor proclaimed, "And as Asgard's future King, I say we show restraint and caution."

"Caution, yes. Restraint? Our actions must be swift –" Loki lost his words as his attention was wrenched in another direction. Jane tried to look out the window where he was facing, but she couldn't see anything strange. It was all grassy plain around them and mountains bordering the Valles Caldera in the distance.

"Found you," Loki whispered.

"No - !" In a desperate attempt to keep his brother there, Thor tried to reach out behind him. Thor's hand passed through empty air as Loki disappeared from the car.

With Muninn still passed out, Thor would have to search for Loki the old fashioned way.

* * *

The air whipped around Harry as he fell from the plane. Tony was below him with his arms and legs extended. Harry needed to get to him before the other two. Diving head first, he kept a hand on his glasses and the other arm against his side – trying to keep his arms close so he could fall faster, to reduce the resistance from the air.

Before he reached Tony, something charged from behind Harry – something mechanical in red and gold.

Alarmed, Harry shouted, "Tony!"

"Yeah?!"

Before Harry could say anymore, it swooped behind Tony and started to unfold around his back. Harry didn't know what it was, but it looked like Tony did. When Harry finally reached him, he tried to grab Tony's arm, but his hand was pushed away.

Tony jabbed a finger towards Bruce and Coulson. "Not me! Get them!"

Harry shook his head. "You first!"

"I'll be fine!" Tony yelled as his suit slowly enveloped his body. "I can fly!"

"With that deadweight?!" Harry reached out again, but Tony waved it away.

"You're the one who said flying brooms and now you have doubt on _my_ stuff?! Now get _them_! Agent can't do anything and Bruce can save himself, but you don't want him to. We'll have a bigger problem if he does!"

Frowning, Harry decided to save his questions for later, but he couldn't help but to remember Bruce's glowing eyes. He glanced one more time at Tony and his mechanical suit, before he focused his full attention to the tail end of the plane that was free-falling below. Harry spread out his limbs a little more to slow down. When he decided that he had matched speeds with Coulson and Bruce, he Apparated down to them. His magic responding quicker because he _needed_ it.

He appeared near the jagged opening of the cabin. He held his arm out to them and shouted, "Hurry!"

Surprised for only a moment, Coulson and Bruce scrambled to remove their seatbelts. Harry angled himself to draw closer to the edge – he could _almost_ touch them as they got out from their seats. Weightless and with the wind pushing all around them, they were practically clinging to their seats. Realizing they couldn't get nearer, Harry closed the distance. He let go of his glasses and stretched out both arms. His vision blurred instantly as his glasses were ripped off his face.

Clasping both of them firmly by their arms, Harry turned his head to peer below. It was useless; everything looked like blobs. He picked a spot somewhere above the ground and with grave determination and a rush of magic, he Disapparated with two others.

He hadn't forgotten about his last free-fall trip. Upon Apparating, all three shot up from the exit point. Trying to calm his thundering heart, Harry breathed out in relief. It had worked! With a wide grin on his face, Harry remembered to summon his glasses. It zipped through the air and into his waiting hands. After placing the glasses back on his face, he took a hold of Coulson and Bruce again.

Their velocity slowed down until they came to a stop in mid-air – providing a grand view of the surrounding forest. Harry quickly looked around again for safe level ground among the rocks and trees below him and then with a final pop, brought them back to the earth.

With a thud, Harry landed on both feet and let go of their arms. He turned to Coulson who nodded and gave him an appreciative smile. Bruce on the other hand, hadn't taken the emergency rescue as well. Stumbling forward onto his hands and knees, he took several shuddering breaths.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly. He stepped forward to offer a hand up. "I tried to make the Apparition as gentle as possible."

"Just – just give me a minute," Bruce said in between breaths. Harry watched intently – he noticed the beeping alarm on Bruce's wrist and the way the man's eyes still glowed that eerie green.

Harry turned when a violent crash signaled the landing of the second half of the plane. It wasn't close enough to harm them, but it was still a sight when it exploded upon impact and smoked up into the air. Harry looked off into the distance to see a small red speck streak across the sky to intercept the remaining half of the plane and _push_ it towards a slightly different direction. With powerful punches, Tony _broke_ tree trunks that had been set afire by the plane – to prevent the spread of the flames.

So this was what Tony meant when he said he drove more than cars! A mechanical suit capable of flight and incredible strength – painted with Gryffindor colors. Tony had been hiding this ace all along. Harry suspected the move was more for show than anything else; he reasoned Tony wanted to wait until the right moment to show off.

"He doesn't tell me anything either," Coulson said after reading Harry's face. Coulson then cautiously approached Bruce and gently offered, "I have a sedative if you want it."

Bruce's eyes became more haggard. "Is that specifically for _me_?"

Harry picked up the sharp edge behind Bruce's words immediately.

"No. I keep it on me at all times."

Bruce stared at Coulson for a brief tense moment before shaking his head no. Apparently Coulson said the right thing, because Bruce closed his eyes and waved the offer away. "I think I got a hold of it."

Harry waited for Bruce's breathing to calm down before saying, "You said that you were invulnerable to almost everything." He gestured to Bruce's eyes, which remained green. "Is this part of what you meant? And why did Tony tell me that I wouldn't want you to save yourself?"

"I can't die on purpose. If I see it coming, it'll induce a - " Bruce turned off his alarm. " – a transformation. I can't control myself if I slip into that state unwillingly."

Considering his magic, Coulson's fighting abilty, _and_ Tony's suit, Harry didn't think Bruce was that hard to take down. He was missing something, if even Tony had warned him of Bruce. "Invulnerable while in this state? Is that why you didn't answer for werewolf earlier this morning? You had an answer, but didn't disclose it." Harry didn't blame Bruce if what was being hidden was anything like a werewolf.

"What happens if you transform willingly?"

Bruce shook his head. "Not when I'm falling from the sky. I'd hit the ground harder and I don't know who or what I'll land on." Harry realized that he had mistaken Bruce's fear earlier as one of dying.

Harry was about to ask more about it when in the corner of his eye he saw something spinning towards him. Without a word, a shield formed in front of him and the projectile bounced harmlessly away.

Protruding from the ground was a throwing knife.

Harry immediately looked up to find his enemy - and found himself completely alone among the trees. He could hear the natural sounds of the forest: a little rustling from the wind and a bird's call in the distance - but Bruce and Coulson had vanished.

Another knife was thrown from his left. Harry blocked it. There had been no other sound. The pine trees were apart enough that he would have seen a person.

Was it another clever muggle innovation? Adrenaline still high and temper short from the disaster on the jet, Harry uttered one command, " _Finite Incantatem_." He didn't know if it would work, but his magic still felt strong – he still needed it, and it _answered_.

As if he had summoned a squall, the illusion blew away to reveal an approaching figure clad in all black – the sound of leather boots on gravel and pine needles instantly alerting Harry to his location. Harry frowned when the closer the man got, the quieter it became. Tall and threatening, the man now walked silently; his boots making no more noise. He only sneered at Harry's counter and wrapped a hand around the air. Ice grew from the fist, into a spike.

Harry didn't bother asking who this was. While Coulson and Natasha had both tried to restrain him, this man wasn't hiding his intent to kill.

In a low and smooth voice, the man spoke. "So… it was you, trespasser."

Harry was momentarily taken aback. Maybe this was a misunderstanding? "I haven't knowingly trespassed. I can leave these grounds immediately once I have found my companions."

The man answered by flinging the ice at Harry.

Harry's shield easily came forth and the ice shattered across – for a second, obscuring his sight of the man. It was a distraction, Harry thought as the man ran forward and swung around the shield. Harry Apparated back before the man could reach him.

What Harry didn't expect was for the man to disappear and appear right next to him. Was it another illusion? He tried Apparating again followed up by a nonverbal _Finite Incantatem_. The man didn't disappear but still followed his every move!

"You think you can teleport from me? I am a Master of Magic, dark practitioner!" With a quick hand, the stranger got a hold of Harry's coat flap and yanked.

Before he was pulled any closer, Harry immediately responded by Apparating back again –sans coat. It was a warning to the stranger that he could induce Splinching if he wanted. Harry nervously watched and hoped that the coat would simply be forgotten. It still held his broken wand. The man responded to the warning by destroying Harry's coat. In his hand, it frosted over and then shattered like glass when it was dropped.

His wand was gone…

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Anger at being called a dark wizard overpowered the realization that there was another magic user. In danger and fuming from the sudden loss, Harry felt his magic breaking through something, becoming more fluid and malleable. It was stronger, quicker, and _warm_ – as if he had a wand in his hand. Harry could almost whoop in joy.

Harry caught the way the man's face became more furious – as if he could also sense the change.

When the man appeared behind him with a drawn dagger, Harry was ready. His magic teeming at the end of his fingers, he released a jet of red – slamming into his opponent. The dagger was ripped from the man and flew towards Harry. Uncertain if it was a dark artifact or not, Harry let it embed into the trunk of a pine tree – careful to not touch it. Harry was disappointed when the man wasn't pushed very far and only needed to crouch to regain his balance. He Apparated again to get more distance – this time the man didn't follow.

"I do not use dark magic!" Harry seethed as he gathered his magic and called forth a stronger shield to encompass the small clearing. " _Protego Totalum_!" Taking a chance, he chanted under his breath, " _Fianto Duri. Repello Inimicum_."

It was like something had splashed over his immediate surroundings. A milky shiny substance started to drip, dribble over a dome-shaped area around Harry. It solidified and provided the crucial barrier for Harry. The shield formed slower than a normal _Protego_ , but it was more durable. The stranger was also watching intently – watching carefully and gauging the nature of the shield.

"Such desperate lies. Darkness permeates around you – swirls around you." Outside the bubble, the man extended a hand to reach for something. The air seemed to ripple before another dagger materialized into his hand. Harry looked at the dagger still stuck in the tree. They were identical.

Catching his breath, Harry looked around and asked, "Where are they? What have you done to them?"

"You should be more concerned for your own life."

Anger ignited inside Harry as he accused, "Was it you? The explosion on the plane?"

Harry, by now, wasn't surprised by the answer he got. The new dagger was thrown at the shield and disintegrated upon contact.

Sharp eyes inspected the shield. "Not dark magic you say?" It was clear that the man didn't believe Harry for a second.

"I _know_ dark magic. I am not using anything dark," Harry declared from behind the shield.

Harry's opponent only scoffed and then crouched down again. With one hand on the ground, the man did what Harry thought was impossible for a wizard.

The air cooled.

Harry could see his breath puffing in front of him. Fog then covered the area, veiling the surroundings and his enemy. How was this man able to directly manipulate temperature like this? It was the third time the man had performed this bit of magic.

"Do not lie."

Harry was about to shout something back when he felt his feet becoming uncomfortably cold. Harry looked down and to his horror his feet were standing in growing ice. Tiny crystals grew quickly over the ground. Harry tugged – but his shoes were trapped. He thought about sacrificing his shoes, but then he remembered a specific spell – a mislabeled one - that could fight against the ice: The Hot-Air Charm.

Hot air started to gather under his palms. He held his hands over the ice to melt it. The ice slowly receded, but it was just enough for him to pull his feet away and step back from the patch of ice. Without the heat to keep it at bay, the ice crept forward again with vigor. He was being pushed out of his shield.

"You claim innocence, while simultaneously drawing dark magic here," the man accused.

"What dark magic, you arsehole?!" Harry shouted – his voice wavered as his teeth chattered. Harry was at the edge of his shield – but still within its protection. He couldn't stay behind the shield if he wanted to fight back. Moving his shaking hand quickly over his clothes, he cast a silent Cushioning Charm and then an _Impervius_ over it. With the next breath, he canceled his shield and commanded his first offensive spell here.

" _Incendio_!"

A bright flare burst forth from his hand. Harry stood shocked – the conjured blaze much bigger than he had intended. The wild fire spread across the clearing and combated the ice, melting the crystals. The fog dissipated as the air cleared to reveal the man still crouched on the ground, watching Harry critically.

Harry hadn't battled with another wizard in a long time – a wizard who didn't need incantations or more importantly, even a wand. His enemy's direct control of temperature was also troubling. Had Bruce and Tony been lying to him? Tony had even laughed when Harry said the word magic the first time … and yet, here was someone who claimed to be a master of magic.

When all the ice was gone, the fire began to lick and dance around the trees. Harry was quick to cast _Finite_ _Incantatem_ on the area to extinguish the flames. He didn't want to start a forest fire. He closely watched as the man rose up from the ground.

The man walked around Harry, keeping eye contact and presenting a wide smirk. He stopped at a tree, effortlessly pulled out the dagger – Harry tensed at the move - and sheathed it back somewhere underneath his black coat. His aggressive demeanor gone and replaced by a challenging one.

Several seconds passed by before the man asked in amusement, "A dark practitioner who preserves trees?"

Harry forced himself to stay quiet. This could be another trick. The man grinned at Harry's distrust.

"Tell me trespasser, why the realm of Menn?"

The realm of men? Harry briefly questioned before he glared at the stranger. He was more angry at himself for being distracted.

The man grinned. "Oh, this is _very_ entertaining. A _lost_ dark practitioner!"

Harry tried to ignore the way the words were grating on his nerves by focusing on the large boulder behind the man. Judging by how fast the man could move, any spell that left a sparkly trail wouldn't work. Harry needed an indirect approach. When the man tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, Harry instantly knew that the man had realized he was planning something. It was too late – with a surge of magic, Harry exploded the boulder with an invisible _Confringo_. The man turned around at the disturbance –leaving his back open for Harry to fire a brilliant red _Stupefy_.

Harry couldn't believe it when the spell hit and the man stumbled and dropped to the ground. Harry's eyes swept around him and then back to the figure lying on the ground. Harry whispered out another wide-area _Finite_ _Incantatem_.

The body didn't disappear. Was it over?

"You do not understand what you have, do you?" was spoken disturbingly close.

Harry whipped around behind him. It was the stranger! Harry instinctively threw up a shield. He looked back in the other direction – and the man was there too, still lying in the same spot on the ground. There were two of them?

Harry slowly walked backwards to get more distance. The stranger only watched, as if he was trying to figure something out. Harry's mind raced – what had he been fighting all this time? What bothered him the most was how his opponent could seemingly add sounds and sensations into the illusions so seamlessly.

"Curious. Non-lethal," was the only thing said as the stranger's eyes momentarily left Harry to appraise the one lying on the ground. He snapped out his wrist and the other disappeared like a dream.

Uncertain whether _Finite_ was working correctly or not, Harry cast out a silent _Homenum Revelio_ – the widest he could. He didn't detect the one who had disappeared.

In fact, he couldn't detect anyone – despite having someone standing in front of him. The stranger wasn't even human!

Solemnly, the man slowly held out his right palm with the fingers pointed down and waited. Harry felt like he was supposed to respond in some way. Harry knew the hand must mean something, but if the man wasn't even human, it could mean anything!

Still with his guard up, Harry admitted, "I don't know what the hell you're trying to communicate." Harry received a puzzled look.

In the silence of the standstill, Harry heard the rush of what sounded like a jet.

"Why am I not surprised to find the both of you?" someone hollered from above. It was Tony in all his metallic glory. Hovering in the air, Tony flipped open his face cover and gestured with his hand in a vague direction behind him. "Hey Ice Princess, Bruce and Agent aren't happy that you teleported them so far back by the way – " Tony then pointed to Harry. " – and Harry, I thought we were going to pretend that I figured out the teleporting thing."

Stunned, Harry turned back to the stranger who had an annoyed look directed towards Tony. "You're the one I'm supposed to be meeting? You made me believe that you were responsible for the plane! And my … coat," Harry tersely said, looking away. He almost said wand.

When he looked back the next moment, a coat was held out in front of him. "How did – how much of that was illusion? I thought it was broken to pieces."

The stranger gave him a look to indicate that it was Harry's fault for coming to that conclusion. Still doubtful, Harry summoned the coat and discretely checked the pocket for his broken wand. His movements weren't discrete enough as the man smirked at the relief showing on Harry's face.

"Congratulations Dorothy, you've found the Wizard of Oz," Tony declared.

"And I have you as the Tin Woodman?" Harry shot back, still tense, angry, and confused.

"No, it's Iron Man," Tony happily corrected as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Harry thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Harry whirled back around to face the one he'd been fighting. "What was that all about? And that bit about dark magic? You tried to kill me because of that? I don't use any!"

"Dark what?" Tony asked.

"Killing you was my initial intention, but no, gauging your skill – only afterwards would I have tried. If you were killed in the initial stage, it would only be a fortuitous consequence to me."

"Are you trying to get into another fight with me?!"

"Would you like another?"

Harry wanted to step up and say yes to the obvious challenge.

"He threw me out of my own tower. It's just his way of saying hello." Tony was not helping the situation.

"Was all of that just to get me angry?" Harry demanded.

"At first no."

"At first no?" Harry recalled the words that were spoken. "It's when you started asking those questions! Why?!"

"To test your control."

"All of this is telling me not to trust you. You still didn't answer my question about dark magic."

An honest reply was given. "You shouldn't, but apparently everyone seems to think you need something from me, dark practitioner."

Harry shook his head and backed away, unsatisfied with the reply. "Tony, I'm sorry, but I'd rather go figure it out on my own."

There was a quiet moment following Harry's declaration.

"Leave us," the stranger softly ordered Tony. "Midgard has no jurisdiction over this matter."

"Does this have to do with that dark thing you were talking about? And you're on earth, buddy," Tony countered. "And technically, he's human, so definitely our jurisdiction more than yours."

"Human?" was the confused reply.

"Yes, human," Harry angrily asserted. "I know you're not."

The man just lightly shrugged in response like it was an obvious conclusion. To Harry's growing frustration, he didn't explain further except to glance at Tony before returning back to Harry. With careful words – a little too careful, Harry thought - the stranger asked, "You? A human who possesses advanced magic?"

There it was again. The word _magic_. "And what's this about a master of magic? I thought there was no magic here!" Harry's accusation was towards Tony.

"That's a title for him!" Tony turned to the stranger. "You're the one who said magic and science is the same on Asgard! So you explain."

"I stand by my words."

"They're not the same!" Harry yelled out in frustration. "You're telling me none of that was magic?"

The stranger looked disturbed. "What realm do you originate where these two words do not share the same meaning?"

"He's not from this universe, Loki. Were you told nothing?" Tony asked as he slowly descended down to the ground.

"An insufficient amount of detail," Loki admitted before breathing out, "A true Orlendr…"

"Loki?" Harry started piecing together the names he had heard so far. Midgard, Bifrost, Asgard, and the fact that he was supposed to be meeting someone who's supposedly a millennium old. "As in from Norse mythology? Son of Laufey and Farbauti?"

Loki had at first been stunned when Tony had declared Harry a universal alien, but now he was _livid_ – as if Harry had uttered something unforgivable.

"I am _Odinson_ , boy!" Loki hissed – looking positively murderous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the first meeting between the antihero from the prequel and the hero of the sequel.  
> Thank you to Junky (FFnet) for prereading this chapter and the phrase "universal alien."  
> The physics of the falling plane is more complex than what I had written. I didn't include how objects can tumble in the air. Has anyone played the game Portal? It's easier to imagine this scene if you've played it. When you're free-falling, you're also not able to hear conversations very well, but you can still see their mouths and hand movements. :)  
> I am under the impression that the Hot-Air Charm isn't really a spell to warm air, but a summons of hot air from … somewhere.


	13. Mixing Light and Dark

Harry took a step back and braced himself for another fight. It was the only reason he managed a counter as Loki blurred forward faster than before.

Harry barely had enough time to cast a powerful _Impedimenta_ as he was given a blow straight in the chest. The _Impervius_ and Cushioning Charm softening the punch so he only slid back a few feet. With them being so close, Loki couldn't dodge the spell and was knocked back as well.

"I haven't been a _boy_ in a long time. Why are you pissed off? I'm the one who should be!" Using the short reprieve for a more complex spell, Harry cast _Oppugno_ _Avis_ to conjure a flock of canaries to attack. Right behind the flock was a _Petrificus_ _Totalus_ – the birds hopefully distracting Loki enough to hide the white light from the second spell.

Loki snatched a bird in a crushing grip and threw it in the path of the spell. He smacked the other birds away and they dropped to the ground completely frozen. His face going from simply incensed to extremely annoyed and angry.

Helmet back in place, Tony stood in between them – wondering how he had become the conflict mediator. He was usually the one who started the conflicts. "Alright kids, play time's over." His words falling on deaf ears as Loki teleported around to continue the fight.

Harry turned around, guessing Loki would appear behind him and firing a quick _Levicorpus_ after he had Apparated back several feet – hoping the spell landed so that Loki would remain in one spot. The spell hit and Loki was hoisted up by his ankle. It was almost funny until a dagger was thrown in Harry's direction. Even upside-down, it did nothing to reduce his accuracy.

Safe behind a shield, Harry was surprised it worked and then in the next moment frowned as he remembered how he was tricked the last time. He didn't trust his eyes and cast out a _Finite Incantatem_ again. Harry looked left, right, and behind, searching for any sign. It dispelled Loki's invisibility and his true location, unfortunately Harry wasn't looking directly up in the tree above.

Loki released his hold on the tree trunk and dropped silently. Before Harry could think about looking up, he was forced down onto the ground, the wind knocked out from him, and his hands were twisted around to his back. Growling, he Disapparated out – he would _never_ purposely Splinch anyone, but he was tempted now. He appeared a distance away – with Loki right behind him, as if he had followed Harry along into the Apparition. Harry was pushed harder into the ground and his wrists were twisted even more, on the border of blindingly painful. He couldn't think!

"Teleportation is a skill I have mastered for centuries, Orlendr," Loki tightly proclaimed, still holding Harry down.

Tony was about to grab Loki from behind to get him off of Harry.

"Sir –" JARVIS started to say.

"Busy right now, JAR –" Before Tony could do it, he was tackled by something in red and black. "Wha - ?!" Tony yelled out as he flew back, collided into the ground, and slid across the dirt and rocks.

"Stop it!" a new voice ordered from Harry's right. "Loki, you're losing control." It was Bruce running through the trees and almost stumbling when he slid down a small incline covered with pine needles. Once he reached them, Bruce had his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

The pain in Harry's hands lessened and Harry could see that Bruce's eyes still hadn't changed back – a stern expression on his face and a clear warning in his eyes. Bruce looked around at _everyone_ , willing them all to behave.

Upon hearing Bruce's words, Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself before releasing Harry's hands. In an affronted tone, he said, "I have not lost control."

Harry quickly pushed himself up and grabbed his coat. Both of them glared at each other; both angry for different reasons.

Tony rolled around on the ground to face who had tackled him, his repulsors alight and ready to fire. It was a guilty looking Thor picking himself off from the dirt. "Thor, what was that for?!"

"My apologies," Thor automatically said as he pulled Tony back up on his feet. "You were covered in an illusion. I believed you to be Loki."

"Loki, I'm going to get you for this! Was it because I called you Ice Princess?" Tony cried out before facing Bruce. "Bruce, am I glad you're here. You can have your babysitting job back. I'm going to have to convince Pepper not to have kids if they're going to be anything like these two."

"You're the last person who should be criticizing them," Bruce retorted. "I _babysit_ you too."

Tony sputtered at the turnabout.

Harry was not amused by any of this. "I've had enough! Give me one reason why I should stay. I've been attacked twice now: once for dark magic – which is ridiculous – and the second for knowing the names of your mother and father, Laufey and Farbauti as if it's a big … secret … "

Harry trailed off when he received odd looks from both Thor and Loki.

"What now?" Harry growled out.

Thor tried to get a clarification from Harry. "You are referring to Laufey as the father, correct?"

"What? No, I said it right."

It was quite a surprise when Loki made a strange noise in his throat – sounded like a smothered laugh – and covered his mouth with a hand. He was trying to maintain his angry expression but then dark amusement slowly spread across his half-covered face. Harry became even more confused.

"I believe you are mistaken," Thor said.

"No, I remember this very clearly which doesn't make sense to me how you can call yourself Odinson," Harry insisted. He looked back at Loki who narrowed his eyes in displeasure when Harry said the last part. It was still a dangerous and sensitive subject it seemed.

With Thor and Loki standing so close to Harry, he couldn't help noticing that they were both almost a foot taller than he was. This observation did not improve his mood. He was getting off topic, Harry realized. Finding out Old Norse myths were real here – if these were the real Thor and Loki – was actually exciting, but it took a back seat after all the crap he had been through. "Merlin, I don't care about your name! Anyway, give me one reason."

Loki took a moment to study Harry - calculating eyes quickly finding something agreeable. Harry hated that look, because it meant Loki had found something he could use. Loki uncovered his mouth and answered seriously. "Apart from the fact that you cannot remain hidden, you are still an Orlendr. This is the root of the problem – and I do have a solution."

Harry fisted a hand. His wrists were still sore from being twisted. "Why should I trust you? Deception is your forte."

Loki smirked. He knew it wasn't meant to be a compliment, but he took it as one. "Is this based on what you have heard about me?"

Harry shook his head as he was reminded of all the bad press he had received from the Daily Prophet. "No, I know how that feels like. You're a myth where I come from and it'd be stupid to take it as the whole truth."

Loki searched Harry's face for any falsehood. "Fair enough. It is in my best interest and everyone around that you return. If you cannot trust me in this, then rely on the trust you have placed on them." With a wave of his hand, he gestured to both Bruce and Tony who both nodded in agreement – with Tony actually keeping his mouth shut this time. Harry still had trouble discerning if Tony was joking or not, but he could trust Bruce. "I do not promise anything lightly, so hear me Orlendr, when I say I will aid you in this."

Harry gave him a look to indicate that he expected more.

Loki clarified his promise. "Ah, of course. I will aid you in your return - is that better?"

"And the dark magic?"

"That will be explained."

"Really?" Tony interrupted. He was ignored by everyone.

Harry looked away as he weighed his options. Loki was right; it was difficult for him to do things on his own without being detected – judging on how easily Tony could do it. He also didn't know a thing about different worlds or universes, but it looked like they did. Finally he reluctantly said, "I'll consider it after I've heard everything."

"Agreed. Now, do not struggle," Loki ordered.

" _What_ \- ?" Harry looked up in alarm to find his surroundings had changed in an instant. He tried to dispel it and then realized that it wasn't another illusion. His environment really had changed. He was amazed. It was the smoothest Apparition – or teleportation - he had ever experienced; it had felt like a minor push and physical contact wasn't even a requirement.

"What happened to the others?" Harry instantly asked, suspicion springing up again.

Harry looked around. He was now standing on patterned carpeting inside an office. He recognized it as Jane Foster's office from the little he had seen on the screen. There was the large bookcase behind her seat and scattered documents in loose piles on her glass desk. The room felt comfortable with a few potted plants in the corners and provided a lot of space, especially since Loki had transported only the both of them. Harry wore his coat again as the air conditioning inside the room started to blow in cool air.

"I have not left them unattended, besides what you will learn is not meant to fall into the ears of Menn – humans … at least not yet." Loki then went to the bookshelf and slipped a hand in a dark corner. With agile steps, he climbed up the sturdy bookcase to reach a ceiling tile. He lifted it to stick his hand inside.

"I thought we already established I'm human," Harry replied. "And what are you doing?"

"Keeping our conversation private. You are familiar with JARVIS?" Loki asked him with hint of condescension, while hopping down and walking across the room to find the camera and microphones there.

Harry could guess why Loki was so intent on removing JARVIS's eyes and ears. Loki could provide the illusions to hide them, but Harry could dispel it all. "Yes, but why didn't you pick a different place?"

"This facility is your original destination, so why change it? To answer your unspoken question: You are an Orlendr," Loki simply said after taking a seat in the center of the room. His back straight and his dark clothes providing a stark contrast against the soft looking white sofa.

Harry grew frustrated again at the short answer. "And what's that supposed to mean? I'm rather rusty on my Old Norse."

Loki was only amused at Harry's reaction. "It means stranger, foreigner, or outsider."

"So I'm exempt?"

Loki's eyes settled back on Harry – heavy with blame. " _You_ have trespassed in more than one way, but yes in your particular case."

Harry figured it was because of his arrival here and this dark magic business. "I don't think there's a specific exemption. It's more like a loophole. So why is it so important that the others don't hear this?"

"The treaty between Asgard and Midgard permits only the technology for the Bifrost. Nothing more – at least in terms of knowledge. It was only a year ago, the humans believed themselves alone in the universe. Their ancestors had mistaken our technology as –"

"Magic," Harry realized. Harry had figured it out, but the idea hadn't truly sunk in until now. The gods in the Old Norse legends were actually aliens. This was the ignorance that Tony was talking about earlier. "They thought it was so incredible that it couldn't have been anything else, right? So everything you did in the forest … it can all be explained by your natural physical laws?"

"Correct."

Harry wondered why no questions were being asked about his own abilities. It seemed like the kind of thing Loki was sure to be curious about. Harry walked around the office, but didn't touch anything. He awkwardly remained standing; he didn't want to sit, especially since he felt like he was breaking and entering. "So what are we really doing here?"

"We are waiting for one more person."

"Jane Foster? Why?"

"You will believe her words more than mine."

Harry didn't deny it. "Isn't it simpler to bring her here?"

"You wish heart failure upon her?"

The question took Harry by surprise. "What? No!" It wasn't until the next second Harry realized it was some kind of private joke. Harry tossed out another question to pass the time. "How did you conjure your weapons?" Harry really wanted to know, especially since Conjuration represented the most difficult group of spells – it was creating something from thin air. As long as Loki was freely giving him answers, he'd try to take advantage of the information.

Harry could tell Loki was debating whether to tell him or not. It wasn't until several seconds later before Loki decided to answer. By that point, Harry had thought his question was going to remain unanswered. "They are normal daggers. I have them stored in extra-dimensional space."

Harry blinked. That explained how the weapons materialized so quickly. "What else can you - do you have stored?"

Loki's grin could only be described as vicious and mischievous.

This was Loki being honest. This time, Harry knew he wasn't getting an answer. He tried a different question. "Where is Asgard? I assume it's very far considering your Bifrost is interstellar."

"Asgard is located several hundred light years away from Midgard - our civilizations developing separately."

It took a moment for Harry to remember what light year meant: the distance light travels in one of earth's years. He hadn't heard it in over thirty years.

Thinking back on old legends, Harry recalled the many old scrolls archived at the Department of Mysteries – many of them written entirely in Ancient Runes based on the old Germanic languages. "There are scrolls written in old runic alphabets describing Old Norse myths. Does this mean there are nine realms? Your Yggdrasill?"

"They may be written in your Elder Futhark alphabet then – if old enough, Phoenician. There are other realms, yes."

Harry didn't ask, but he wondered if the other realms existed in his world. Unlikely, he quickly decided. If Asgard had a no-sharing policy towards less advanced civilizations, they wouldn't have hidden from the wizarding community who could stand on equal footing – at least in terms of capability.

The more answers Harry got, the more nervous he became. "You're being suspiciously forthcoming."

There was a low chuckle before an innocent sounding question was asked. Loki's accompanying smirk did not match his soft tone. "Am I? I am attempting to be … trustworthy."

"It's a little too late for that. You also don't treat your _buddies_ very well if you throw them off of towers."

"You are still here; you have some faith at least. As for that particular friend – " Loki shrugged a little. " - he accused me of detumescence." Loki had said it as if it was a natural outcome. Harry wondered how they were even friends.

With a furrowed brow, Harry decided to not respond to the second part. "I can leave now."

Loki grinned indulgingly. "Not if I say that you are a danger to the people around you."

"That's a lie," Harry automatically replied.

"Is it? I know what kind of person you are. You are … a hero." Loki said the word hero as if it was something mildly distasteful in his mouth.

Harry felt like he was back in Hogwarts again in his first year Potions class. He could remember how Snape had described him as a celebrity – even remembered how it was said with punctuated syllables. Harry shook himself from the sharp memory.

"It makes you predictable. You will not leave this room if there is even a possibility that you will endanger another." Loki subtly moved his hand in Harry's direction and drained the colors from his clothes except for one. The black from Harry's coat and slacks and the light blue from his shirt pooled down to his feet and vanished. Harry was now wearing completely white. Harry glared at Loki who responded by laying a hand on the sofa. Black started to leak and bleed from his hand to cover the entire furniture. Before the entire piece was engulfed, Harry dispelled the illusions. Both his clothes and the sofa reverted back to their original colors.

Harry expected Loki to be annoyed but all the trickster did was to smile smugly.

"I am being honest," Loki simply said.

Irritated again, Harry turned away. When he couldn't stand the silence anymore, Harry asked, "How many of the myths are real here?"

"I assume your universe has its own set of legends?"

"Apparently - which I assume don't match the ones here. There, you are known as Laufeyjarson – strangely by the matronym."

A dark look flashed across Loki's face before he forced it back to neutrality. "I wonder how different certain events would have been if the same myths were here."

"What about the myths outside of the Old Norse ones?" Harry tried to ask without stressing how important the question was to him.

The side of Loki's mouth quirked up, seeing through Harry's act. "Perhaps you should ask a more specific question."

Harry frowned; he didn't want to specifically ask about the sphinx. Harry turned around when he heard the sounds of an unlocking door across the room. He turned back to Loki who didn't look bothered at all – expectant really.

When the door opened, it was Jane and under her arm was a bundle wrapped in her jacket. She hastily closed the door when she noticed her two guests. Still feeling nettled, Harry threw out a color-changing charm towards Loki who had his head turned to Jane.

A pillow was thrown across the room. It hit the spell, turned bright pink, and sailed across in the direction of Harry's face. Harry caught it – disappointed the charm didn't work.

With a hand on her hip, Jane said, "I like my office the way it is. Loki, if you want to change something pink, go do it to Tony's suit again. He still thinks it's JARVIS who messed up the paint job."

When had that happened? Harry was also surprised Loki took the blame for the pillow, but then realized it was probably all entertainment to him.

"I'm glad I caught you two," Jane said sarcastically and then huffed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "And Harry, good to finally meet you face to face."

"Likewise," Harry replied.

She turned her gaze back to Loki. "I had a feeling you were going to come back here before anyone else."

"You are just in time for a conversation," Loki replied. He lifted a hand towards the bundle in Jane's arm. She wasn't sure if she should hand it to him but then eventually gave in.

"Thanks for making Muninn hate me, by the way," Jane flatly commented. She removed her jacket from the unconscious raven and laid the bird in Loki's hands. Harry recognized the bird as one of Odin's twin ravens. He figured it worked like owl post. What had happened to it?

"He will not hate you. Instead of delivering messages to you, he may eat them."

"Like that's any better?" Jane asked rhetorically. She sat down on another sofa across from Loki. "I want to know about this dark magic."

"I thought this was being kept secret from … so you're not human either?" Harry asked Jane.

"What?" Jane blurted out, confused.

"She's human," Loki confirmed before taunting her. "And why should I impart this knowledge? By what rank do you claim?"

Jane narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not playing around, Loki. Thor couldn't - or wouldn't explain it and he left soon after you did, to chase after you. Oh and don't think I'm oblivious about Muninn. I know he didn't crash into my windshield on accident. You planned for it."

Harry listened carefully. He had never been interested in the politics – muggle or wizarding - but he knew enough to understand that ignorance was dangerous.

"You think I am playing? Think of this as practice. You must learn to better maneuver yourself in Asgard's court."

Jane growled in exasperation. "Why do I have to learn from you?"

"You wish to learn from Thor?" Loki made no secret of what he thought about that idea.

"That's not what I meant." Jane bit her lip before she gave an answer. "A bargain then?"

Loki didn't look impressed. "Better … but still lacking. What would you have to offer?"

"I don't know," Jane admitted. "I mean I think I already know what it is anyway."

Loki smiled. "How fortunate."

That was the loophole, Harry realized. As long as Jane knew it already, it wouldn't be Loki who had revealed dark magic.

"So you can place the blame on Thor, you mean," Jane pointed out.

"I place nothing on him. I am only taking advantage of his blunder. Now try again." While Jane was busy thinking, Loki buried his fingers in Muninn's feathers – as if he was trying to find something.

Jane spent a long moment before she thought out loud. "You don't want others to know and all I want is a confirmation. That is the bargain then. I can threaten to tell others."

A sly smile stretched across Loki's face. "A threat? A good answer. Now explain your theory to him. Your human terms much more suitable for him than Asgard's."

"Why couldn't that have been the bargain?"

"How would you have known what I wanted?" Loki asked still focused on Muninn. After a final caress, the raven started to fidget, then shook itself awake before hopping back on its feet. The bird took one look at Jane and shrieked at her. Harry was tempted to silence Muninn but Loki beat him to it. With nimble fingers, Loki snapped the beak shut. He then commanded, "Return to Thor."

Muninn grudgingly turned around when Loki let go of its beak. Before flying through the special panel in the window, the raven upturned its tail feathers to show its vexation. Jane shook her head in amusement.

"Right, information gathering. I should have asked you first, Harry, if you knew what he might have wanted," Jane admitted with a tired sigh.

Harry thought it was a rather convoluted way to get information across but it would technically keep Loki's hands _clean_. Harry hated politics.

"What you call dark magic - " Jane started before looking at Loki straight on. " - it's dark matter and dark energy, isn't it?"

Loki didn't contradict her and Jane took it as a sign to continue. "Dark matter and dark energy – both are actually still mysteries. We know very little but we do have hypotheses. All the data we have is indirect but what we do know is that the visible matter and energy – the stars, planets, gas clouds, detectable black holes – only makes up about 4.6% of the universe."

"That low?" Harry whispered out in disbelief.

"The other 95%, we can't see it but we can detect some of its effects. For instance, all the matter in the universe has a gravitational force. So if we know one, we can figure out the other value. We can calculate that force for the universe based on telescopic observations, but the mass we get is much larger than what is visible. You don't know how frustrating and mind-blowing that was when it was discovered." Jane then asked Loki, "Asgard is ahead of us in terms of technology and probably has this stuff all figured out, don't you?"

"No, but we are ahead."

"So what's bad about it? There must be if you kept accusing me of it," Harry said to Loki.

Jane answered for him. "Our universe is expanding, Harry. Galaxies – clusters of stars – they're spreading. This acceleration will pull galaxies farther and farther apart. It'll reach the point where things are so distant, the volume so great, the universe will be too cold to sustain life … oh don't worry, Harry," Jane laughed when she noticed Harry's disturbed look. "We're talking about billions of years here. The universe has always been expanding since its creation but what's hastening this expansion is … "

"Dark magic," Harry filled in the rest when Jane left it blank.

"Dark matter and dark energy isn't unnatural but yes dark energy is what's causing the expansion. Before this was discovered, the universe was thought to expand and then contract again at some point in the distant future, assuming the universe equaled or exceeded the critical density. Now, we know that it will continue to stretch out faster and faster. We exist in four spacetime dimensions – what you see is in three dimensions and time is the fourth; there are at least seven others in this universe. We believe dark matter and dark energy exists in the higher dimensions ... we only feel a fraction of their influence."

Harry glared at Loki and asked testily, "How do I know you're not just manipulating me again?"

Loki had expected this and with no hesitation, questioned Jane. "Has there been any unusual readings from this observatory?"

"Yes, now that you mention it. Between here and Caltech's L.I.G.O. there were some odd observations within the past several days." Jane got up from her seat and went to her desk to look around for some papers. "Oh, here it is. According to this, there was an increase in the red shifting of some of the radiation from deep space."

"What's red shifting?" Harry asked. "I'm not familiar with that phrase."

Jane looked up from her reports to find her seat again. "It's an effect for waves when the source of those waves are moving away from you."

"Your expansion…" Harry put together.

Jane searched through the tables of numbers. "Yes, but it's not consistent. Let me see … the first time it happened was five days ago and then a series of massive shifts several hours after the first one. There are little bursts here and there but that could just be the background noise."

"Was there one about 35 minutes ago?" Loki asked.

"Let me check," Jane said as she got back up. She went around to her computer. After some typing and scrolling, she said from behind her screen, "Yes, how did you – never mind. What happened half an hour ago?"

Harry felt his mouth dry up. Jane didn't know it, but she had pinpointed when he had died both times. And this last one was the exact moment when Harry felt his magic breaking through something. His chest constricted; he couldn't breathe. Harry lost track of the conversation for an empty moment filled with only the sound of his heartbeats. He shook himself and tried to listen to what Loki was saying.

"I surmise you dragged some of it when you crossed universes. You are unconsciously using it, incorporating it with your own abilities," Loki said.

Harry turned back to Loki who had leaned back into the cushions. In a hollow voice, Harry said, "That's why you want me to leave. I'm slowly destroying your world?"

Harry had to take a seat; his legs suddenly feeling too weak. He dropped into the seat next to Jane and numbly stared at his hands. He had been thrilled about his returning magic, but now … he figured it was probably why his spells were more potent here.

Harry agreed with what Loki had said earlier. Harry wouldn't have believed any of this if it had come from only Loki. Harry had also discretely casted _Finite_ throughout the entire conversation. This really was Jane. Harry swallowed tightly before asking, "So how do you plan to get me back?"

"Loki can pull baryonic matter – I mean, normal matter from other universes … so I'm assuming you can put them back?" Jane guessed.

Harry shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. What about pulling dark magic across?"

Loki crossed his arms. " _You_ are alive and with a seemingly intact consciousness. That is the difference, which is quite perplexing. I did not think such a journey was survivable."

Harry struggled to keep his face from showing anything. He wasn't feeling very stable right now - the shock still fresh and his emotions too raw. As an Unspeakable, he had by now learned basic Occlumency and how to hide thoughts, but he wasn't advanced enough to hide the fact that he was hiding something in the first place. It was just his luck Loki didn't look at him, too busy puzzling out this mystery. Harry didn't think he could hide what Tony called his Frankenstein trick otherwise. He didn't know how long he could hide it either. Tony was bound to blab about it.

Loki shook his head. "I cannot simply return them. I _never_ return these items and these are from collapsed universes."

"What do you mean by collapsed?" Harry asked.

"Simply put, dead. The dimensions have collapsed and merged where they are separate here. There are also an infinite number of universes with their own sets of dimensions - thus the term multiverse. I can show you the way out of this one but what transpires after …"

It was a shot in the dark then. Harry looked into Loki's grim face and felt only budding frustration.

Noticing and then promptly dismissing Harry's feelings, Loki coldly added, "I promised neither your successful nor your safe return."

Still, Harry thought, it could work. If he left this world, he might meet the sphinx again – she might be able to lead him back to his world. He didn't ask if they knew about a sphinx because it didn't sound like they knew. There had been no mention of anything or anyone in between the universes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dark matter and dark energy are real scientific mysteries and an active area of research. Jane's description of it is correct as we don't know what the other 95% of the universe is made up of. There are hypotheses though. The time scale of the red shifting is off ... but then this story would take place hundreds, thousands, millions of years.  
> Harry is also correct about Laufey and Farbauti. In mythology Laufey is the mother, not the father. I don't know why Marvel comics decided to switch the names.


	14. Grabbing Destiny - By the Hair

" _Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences_." – J.K. Rowling

* * *

Harry quickly looked up at the sound of another person opening the door. It was a young woman with a bored expression behind thick black rimmed glasses. She leaned on the door to yawn to the side.

"Hey, Jane –" She stopped when she noticed Harry and pushed her glasses up higher on her nose. "I didn't know Loki had a younger brother."

"What? I'm _not_ ," Harry immediately responded. He turned to Loki to see his reaction but the other sofa was empty. "Where did he go?"

Jane shrugged. "Somewhere around here – probably down at the Bifrost. Darcy, did you need something?"

Darcy closed the door when she started to hear the shuffling of feet outside. "Yea … SHIELD's here, as well as the A-team – Tony's description."

"They're here already?"

"Uh-huh," Darcy said as she took out a lollipop from her trouser pocket and unwrapped the candy. She stuck it in her mouth while her blue eyes raked across Harry. Harry shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "You got the green eyes, black hair, and you just magically popped in here – bypassing me. What was I supposed to think? Hmm, you don't have that dark and broody air, but you're _definitely_ pulling off the adorable naïve look, especially with those round glasses and that bed hair – too bad you're a little young."

"Darcy!" Jane called out, embarrassed.

Darcy looked at Jane as if there was nothing wrong with what she had just said. "What? It's people twice or three times my age here – or in your case … " Darcy paused to do the math. " … about thirty times."

Harry was speechless … and then suddenly laughed as he was oddly reminded of Luna. He didn't know how, but Darcy's bluntness and generally inappropriate comments had cut through the feelings of guilt – at least for now. He still felt like he was weighed down by rocks, but her humor amidst the bad news was like how Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was a breath of fresh air in the busy and stuffy atmosphere of Diagon Alley … well, after Ron retired from the Aurors and joined George in the business.

Harry couldn't decide if he should tell her his real age. He decided to keep it secret for now.

With a hand over her forehead, Jane introduced them, "Harry, this is my assistant Darcy Lewis. Darcy, this is Harry Potter."

Harry stood up to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Darcy pulled the lollipop out to say, "Ooh and charming too."

"Darcy, please – just go to the others. I'll meet you there," Jane requested after a long suffering sigh.

"Sure, boss. Remember, conference room." Darcy pointed down into the floor before she closed the door.

As Harry was walking to the door, Jane collected her papers and said, "This facility has both Stark and SHIELD employees. Only the SHIELD employees are aware of the Bifrost."

Harry connected the dots. "Because I don't know which of them are SHIELD, I shouldn't mention the Bifrost at all … but why hide such a thing? If everyone knows that there are alien races out there and a treaty with Asgard, isn't keeping this secret pointless?"

Jane took a moment staring at the papers in her hands before she replied. "The treaty with Asgard isn't out in the open yet. Our … ha, introduction to other races wasn't pleasant. Well, Darcy and I had a slightly easier time; we met Thor first – Asgard has a protective stance over the realms, it seems. Almost everyone else learned about aliens from the television broadcasting the invasion last year. Do you know about it?"

Harry took a guess. "Does this have anything to do with flying worms?"

Jane blinked and then frowned. "I wouldn't call them worms … but yes. They seem more like mounts. The invading army were made up of these strange hybrid of animal and robot called the Chitauri. Thor says they're not part of the nine realms. Long story, short – we almost lost and people haven't forgotten."

"When you say that people haven't forgotten, are you saying the distrust is over any alien race? Why not expose Asgard more if they're your ally?" It seemed like the logical solution to Harry.

"It's _complicated_. Some people still don't believe there are alien races out there. Too human-centric I suppose – too grounded in their beliefs."

"Outside of this group, no one knows about Asgard?"

"Asgard prefers to stay in the background until an immediate global threat." Jane sighed. "Anyway, we're supposed to be modern, but there are still people who are xenophobic – over imaginary lines on a map, can you believe that? Now add people who don't fit the classical definition of _human_ and people who don't even come from Earth. I'm disappointed, but it's apparently too much of a paradigm shift for society."

Harry could believe that. Wizard-kind had been aware of other magical species for thousands of years but the co-existence had been and was still painful – as Hermione kept reminding both Ron and him after a stressful day working in the Ministry of Magic. These problems were on top of the ones generated by the uneasy relationship between wizards and muggles – even prejudice against another fellow wizard when permanent curses like lycanthropy were involved.

Harry thought there was something else to this long story. He could tell that she had skirted around something. It must have shown on his face because Jane gave him an uncertain smile and added, "I'm not telling you everything. It's nothing against you, but I don't think I should be the one to tell you."

"I can understand that." Harry wasn't happy about it, but he could grudgingly accept that she was uncomfortable about the topic, plus the fact that this particular event had nothing to do with him. She had been honest about it – which he thought was a nice courtesy.

Jane walked around her desk and checked her computer a final time. "Did Loki deactivate the monitoring system in my office?"

"Yes."

Jane groaned at Harry's confirmation. "There's so many of them to turn back on, at least the security's still intact. I'll have to do it later. Come on, I'll show you down to the rest." She pulled on her jacket before opening the door.

Jane led him through wide carpeted hallways, a number of people who smiled at them, and past other offices to an elevator with dim lights inside. Harry hardly paid attention to all this as his mind wandered back to this world's dark magic. Deep in his thoughts, Harry was startled when JARVIS greeted them as soon as the elevator doors closed.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Foster and Mr. Potter. The others are waiting."

Jane didn't have to press any buttons as JARVIS took control of the elevator. Harry felt himself drop from the ground level through at least three floors. He looked at the buttons on the control panel – according to that, there was nothing below the basement level. Finally, he thought, a secret underground room that didn't use the loo as its entrance. Stepping off of the lift, Harry could already hear muffled voices. They were loud enough to travel out from the conference room and down the pale hallways to him.

Jane pursed her lips and quickened her pace. "Fury's here? Harry, what happened since we talked last?"

Before Harry could say something about Tony's jet or ask about Fury, Jane opened the doors wide. There were five people inside the long room – Tony without his suit, Bruce, Thor, Darcy and one black man Harry didn't recognize but guessed to be Fury. The bald man had an eye patch with distinct scarring underneath, a severe face, and an authoritative attitude. None of them realized that Jane and Harry had entered the room – too absorbed on what Tony and Fury were arguing about. The two men were on the far end of the long room but Harry could hear everything succinctly.

"How did your plane explode?" Fury demanded.

Seated, Tony played with his personal phone and scowled at what he saw there. "JARVIS is working on it, but it doesn't look like an accident. Probably something pressure and temperature sensitive, activated when the jet descended from cruising altitude. Tell Agent to give me any information he finds down there."

Nostrils flaring, Fury yelled out, "You realize what this can do to you? I can't protect you if the Council retracts their approval of you! If you cause too much trouble, if you start to outweigh your usefulness …"

Tony crossed his arms while his scowl deepened. "I don't need protection."

Fury leaned over the table to glare at Tony. "You'll need it – especially since you were digging around Classified files."

With a loud thud, Tony slammed a fist on the table and then showed a dangerous smile to show that he was not going to be intimidated – gone was his characteristic nonchalant attitude. "I've kept myself clean of your files lately. You wouldn't come for a plane accident and the only thing I searched for recently was of someone named … Ranger? No, Granger. Is that what happened to my jet? Because I searched too deep?"

"I _don't_ know. Hell, I'm not even supposed to know about your search. Why were you looking for her?"

"You _don't_ know?! And you were spying on your own Wholly Stupid-Ass Council?" When Fury returned a glare, Tony scoffed. "Of course, you spy on everyone, don't you?"

Fury scowled. "This isn't a game!"

Tony matched the look. "I don't play around! Hey – that was – I was _dying_ then!"

"Not an excuse! You had to go out with a bang didn't you? You didn't think about the consequences?"

"I had things under control." Tony pointed a quick finger at Fury. "But you! You have something don't you? How did you get around JARVIS?"

Fury's eyebrows shot up as if he couldn't believe what Tony had just said. "Under control? You call _that_ under control? Agent Romanova and I had things under control. You let your little sidekick _take_ one of your damn suits to the Air Force. You didn't think they'd try to reverse engineer it?"

Tony looked offended. "Rhodey wouldn't – "

"He can't watch it 24-7 and what's worse is that Hammer had his hands all over the suit. We had to steal back those plans from both the military _and_ Hammer Industries. Don't tell me you have things under control when you pull stupid shit like that!"

"That was then - !" Tony tried to defend.

"Look what's happened now!" Fury bellowed. He swiped the remote off the table and clicked on the flat screen on the far wall. He quickly switched it to a news channel and increased the volume to drown out Tony's protests.

" – Stark's private jet was caught on amateur video – "

A click changed the channel.

" - explosion in mid-air is seen here captured by a camera phone from a hiker – "

Another click.

" – if we zoom in, those two dots are people. One of them disappeared – "

Harry winced; that had been him and Tony. Click.

" – thank goodness, no one was hurt, but there was substantial damage to the Valles Caldera National Reserve. You think it was a publicity stunt by Stark?"

Click.

" – you can see the smoke in the background. I can't get any closer to the wreckage – "

One final click.

"The bill would benefit everyone. This latest incident can't be an accident; it could've been an attack from someone with anti-Avengers or anti-superhuman beliefs. That's the worst case scenario; the best is that Mr. Stark was being reckless again. There needs to be some oversight, more importantly over such things as his weaponized suit. It's a weapon, no matter what Mr. Stark calls it. Also, that unknown person seen falling with him wouldn't have to hide," a man in a dark gray suit commented. Harry thought the man's smile was one of the most insincere ones he had ever seen; it was on par with Skeeter's. "I'm going to keep my faith in Mr. Stark and say that he is a responsible person – that this wasn't a stunt, but then it seems clear to me that even the great Tony Stark – Iron Man needs protection. What if his suit falls into the wrong hands?"

"That ass-clown Stern … " Tony grumbled as he reached for a clear glass on the table to chuck at the screen. Already familiar with Tony's temper, Bruce snatched the glass away and walked up to the screen to mute it. He gave a swift nod towards Jane and Harry as the two made their way to the others. Tony avoided eye contact with everyone.

It was at this moment when Loki entered the room from a side door. Fury rounded on Loki immediately. "And I heard that you _fought_ with Potter?" Fury gestured to Harry. "What if someone saw? Worse, recorded it?"

Loki sneered at the Director of SHIELD. "I am no fledgling. I generously provided you a boon; I hid _his_ second teleportation and the events thereafter behind layers of illusions. Midgard is a weak ally if such secrets are being kept from its own people. _You_ may not be ants, I grant you that, but the rest … might as well be – pathetically mindless."

Hoping to avoid another argument, Thor tried to pull back Loki. "Brother, mind your words – "

"It's my fault," Harry loudly interrupted. All eyes turned to him. "It's my fault," he repeated. "I asked Tony to search for Hermione Granger. She's a friend back where I'm from and I wanted to know how she's like here. I'm sorry, but how is searching for someone who's dead causing you so much trouble?"

It wasn't a surprise when Loki sensed something from Fury. "Oh, another secret, Director? She is not dead, is she?"

 _She's alive?_ Harry had been discouraged before, but now he was again curious about who else was here.

" _You're_ one to talk about secrets," Fury accused Loki before he glanced at Harry. "Her records were changed for her protection and she's being kept under careful watch."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. It sounded too familiar.

Fury ignored Harry's frown and continued with his explanation. "Her death was faked but her parents' weren't. It wasn't a random car accident by a drunk driver; it was because she was being targeted – by multiple agencies the world over."

"Why?" Harry asked. Hermione was frighteningly intelligent, Harry easily admitted, but he didn't think that was enough to kill for.

"At age 8, she graduated from MIT in Mathematics. By age 10, she was spitting out prime numbers – rivaling the supercomputers at that time."

Hermione had always been good at Arithmancy – so this was how her talent with numbers manifested in this world.

"I would have known about her," Tony argued. "It is my alma mater."

"She was never officially enrolled and used a dummy name," Fury responded.

"What's so important about prime numbers?" Darcy asked, getting everybody's attention. Harry wondered the same thing. She got an annoyed look when everyone turned to her. "Well sorry for not being part of the genius club."

Bruce explained, "It's important for the encryption of data - specifically public-key encryption or digital signatures. Any other integer can be divided into other numbers, but not primes. The larger the number, the better. It also means it's harder to find; more processing power to find the next one in the sequence."

"If she can produce the next prime before any computer can calculate it – no wonder everyone was gunning for her. If she somehow discovered an efficient equation for primes … " Jane hinted. " ... or the factoring problem.

Bruce nodded. "The economic system – banking, trading, everything publicly encrypted – is based on the faith that there is no equation."

"We never found out who was after her – but we took the opportunity to claim her as dead along with her parents," Fury added.

Doubt covered Tony's face. "You sure it's to only protect her? Seems like an excuse to keep her."

"She is working for the Council. She can walk out of wherever she is, at any time."

"Yeah, exchange freedom with protection," Tony pointed out.

"That's not an uncommon concept. You make it sound like you don't understand it." Fury nodded towards Bruce, who only looked away and frowned at the unwelcome reminder.

"You don't know where she is?" Harry asked. He found it odd that even this Fury didn't know.

"No, I don't. It's to protect her; the fewer people who know where she is, the better protected she is. I only make requests to the Council if we need her to remotely get access to information or a location." Fury then turned to Loki and asked, "Can you return our _guest_ home?"

Loki purposely dragged out the silence to irritate the Director of SHIELD before answering, "What will I receive in return?"

"You don't have to be here."

"Banishing me from Midgard will do more harm to you than to me." Harry didn't think Fury's glower could etch further into his face – but it did. Loki smirked when he got the reaction he wanted. "Consider this a favor."

"Get it done fast," Fury said before he quickly swept through the room, took one look at Harry as he passed, and disappeared around the corner. It was a quick glance but with the same certainty Harry had with meeting Tony for the first time, he was sure he had seen Fury's face on television before.

Annoyed at being brushed off and disturbed by the strangeness of this world's inhabitants, Harry didn't say anything.

"Okay … I'll just go back upstairs," Darcy said when the room became uncomfortably silent. The two women briefly whispered to each other before Darcy left the room.

With a wide smile, Thor broke through the quiet and took the opportunity to heartily greet Harry. "Welcome Orlendr. I am Thor Odinson of Asgard."

"Harry Potter … " Harry paused when he couldn't think of anything to add after his name – well nothing that didn't sound pretentious.

"See, Brother? Restraint," Thor said to Loki, pulling a chair out for Jane. Both of the Asgardians claimed seats on the other side of the table while Bruce sat next to Tony who was still avoiding everyone's eyes. Jane took the offered seat.

Harry didn't miss the way Thor and Jane scooted their chairs closer together. The motion achingly reminded him of what he had ended with Ginny. It made him question his choice again; his reasons for doing it felt weaker than ever when he realized that these two were together despite their differences. He tried to ignore the sinking emptiness. To even out the sides and also because he felt more comfortable with Bruce and Tony, Harry decided to sit with them.

There was another silence that descended over the entire group.

Looking at the two on his side, Harry could honestly say that he had underestimated both Tony and Bruce. He had seen what Tony could do, which made him very curious what Bruce was capable of doing if the man was the so-called _babysitter_. Harry wasn't sure if he should ask about it again; Bruce had been reluctant to explain and Harry didn't want to pry into something obviously sensitive.

Glancing across the table at both Odinsons, Harry could now understand why Bruce and Tony had been reluctant to believe his magic. His _magic_ didn't exist here – wasn't necessary here when he considered what they could do or create with their own hands … like that circle glowing through Tony's shirt.

Tony smirked when Harry gave him and the light on his chest a funny look. "I did say it wasn't only to illuminate my dashing figure. It's a miniature arc reactor: the power source to my suit."

Annoyed, Harry asked, "You couldn't have mentioned it earlier?"

"And ruin the surprise?"

"Any _other_ surprises?"

"Possibly …" Tony answered.

"Probably …" Bruce added with a wince.

"Certainly," Loki stated.

Harry had to take a moment to separate out all the responses; they were spoken all at once.

"Hey what's life without surprises?" Tony gleefully added.

"Where's Coulson?" Jane asked to change the topic. "Isn't he supposed to be here too?"

"He's at the crash site, handling the clean-up," Bruce answered.

"Who was that man? Fury?" Harry asked.

"Agent's boss," Tony replied. "Director of SHIELD – aka Captain D. since he likes to remind me that there are bigger fishes to fry. That reminds me – " Tony pulled out his phone and pressed a button to talk into it. " – JARVIS, drinks? I thought I programmed you better than this."

The AI didn't respond, but a side door opened and another one of Tony's minion bots rolled in. Harry closed his eyes and hoped this one was nothing like Dummy.

"Butterfingers, did you wash your hand?" Tony asked after he took a close look at the robot.

Butterfingers nodded.

"Don't you lie to me. I see dust and oil on you," Tony chastised. The robot groaned before it left the room like a petulant child. Harry shook his head at the almost human relationship.

"Sorry about this, Harry. It seems you've been dragged into our mess," Bruce apologized.

"It's alright. I'm responsible too."

Tony laughed. "I did say you'd fit right in … how many is that now? Four?" Tony teased. "I'm not counting myself – I was trying to save you."

"I'm beginning to think this is a trend when meeting your friends," Harry grumpily commented.

"Eh, you still love us."

Harry finally remembered about the suspicious man handling the jet's cargo. "Tony, I don't know if this will help, but the man who was loading the luggage … I'm not trying to accuse him, but he seemed a bit off when I talked to him."

Tony nodded. "I'll look into him. I'll look into _every_ person who had contact with my jet."

"This was not a murder attempt," Loki concluded. "At least not an attempt on your life."

"Yeah, it's easier to kill me when I'm not in the suit. Either they miscalculated on the amount of explosives – which I highly doubt – giving me enough time to suit up or this wasn't to kill me at all." Tony's eyes traveled back up to the silent flat screen still displaying the burning wreckage that was once his favorite jet. "Who's in charge of national parks? I'll have to send them some flowers."

"Is that your standard response?" Jane asked.

"You're right. Cut flowers after I killed their trees is probably a little faux pas."

"A little?" Bruce needled.

"Gift basket?" Tony tried again.

"Whomever is responsible, they have spectacularly damaged your image," Loki added as he too watched the screen. "If I wanted to destroy a man completely, this is how I would start."

"You haven't heard of anything down in the grapevine have you?" Tony asked.

"None about you … well, nothing other than the normal griping."

"Fury hinted at the Council pulling their support of you. You think they're responsible?" Bruce asked.

Tony shook his head. "I doubt it. They like things quick and efficient."

"Hold on, if Granger can get any information, then why are we talking so freely?" Jane pointed out.

"Fury had ordered Tony to shut off JARVIS from this room – at least until after Fury left. Quite a big argument before you arrived," Bruce replied.

Still bothered with something, Jane spoke her thoughts. "It's strange Fury would come here in person. He dropped everything to be here."

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Tony said while dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "And here I thought he was trying to break up with me."

Jane closed her eyes, deep in thought. "He took a big risk. I can understand why he wouldn't want to call you if the Council is watching you, but why didn't he just send a message to Coulson? In spy code – or whatever."

"Unless he doesn't know about Hermione either," Harry suggested. He didn't know why he kept referring to her as Hermione when he only knew her secondhand.

"I thought Coulson was pretty high up on the echelon," Bruce said and then sighed. "We're not going to solve this today."

Harry looked away, guilt seeping in again. "Sorry about all this. I didn't know it would cause this much trouble for you."

Tony waved it off. "No, this is good. I've been trying to figure this out, because both Natasha and Agent have become miraculously adept at going around my security." Tony started to absentmindedly tap on his arc reactor, deep in his thoughts. "Something's still off. Yeah sure, Granger can be the best hacker in the world … but no way she beat JARVIS, not without leaving a trace. I don't care if she made her own A.I., there's no way she can hack her way in without JARVIS knowing about it. It's like she gained access - pulled the passwords and override codes out from thin air."

"Well, she's a borderline genius if not a genius in my world. And she is good with numbers," Harry supplied.

Tony snorted. "And what do you think I am?"

Harry ignored the blatant show of arrogance. "You got a partial answer, at least."

"That's another thing," Tony said. "Captain D. didn't have to say anything. You can't demand information from someone like him. He gave it to us – the question is why?"

"You forced his hand," Thor spoke up. "The move was not planned but a consequence."

"Still … " Tony commented distractedly before he focused his attention onto Loki. "Hey, don't think I've forgotten about this dark magic thing. You know I'm going to find out right?"

Loki revealed a cryptic smile. "I apologize, but we must be on our way."

Thor immediately stood up, dread marking his face. "I have forgotten the time!"

"Well, there you have it." Loki then pointed to Harry. "Orlendr, we will speak again tomorrow."

Harry narrowed his eyes at him when it sounded like a demand.

"Hey - !" Tony called out. Loki and Thor disappeared anyway.

* * *

After the others had left – Bruce had ushered Tony out the room, oddly right after Harry had used his shirt to wipe a smudge on his glasses – Jane led Harry through the underground level towards the living quarters. Jane had explained that the rooms were there because Tony wanted a secluded place to crash when he was in the area. There were multiple guest bedrooms and one was available to Harry as long as he needed it.

To keep himself from thinking about the trouble he had caused, Harry asked, "What was that practice? Earlier in your office."

She paused in her stride, surprised at the question. Resuming her walk, she tucked a little of her hair behind an ear and gave a half smile. "I'm not a fighter or an aesir – I mean ásynja. Argh, need to get that right."

Harry returned the half smile. He recognized her mistake and said, "Yes, it wouldn't be good to switch the female and male versions. I think I can guess your dilemma already."

Jane nodded. "I don't carry the same amount of respect there as I do here. I only have this." She pointed to her head.

Now that he had a better picture of her relationship with Thor, he realized, "You were bluffing about that threat."

"Yeah … he knows I wouldn't tell others so freely."

"Because Thor would get the blame for telling you?"

"Exactly – which is why it was practice. Realistically, I would get no real penalty but Thor would."

"I think you can still tell Bruce and Tony at least. All of you seem close and they wouldn't tell others if the information is so sensitive."

Jane laughed. "Loki knows that too. He's banking on it."

Harry frowned at the thought of all the secrets. "Why would he go through all this trouble if he wants all of you to know anyway?"

"Asgard forgives Thor more readily than it does Loki. Thor also wouldn't be lying if he said he didn't reveal it to me directly. Loki can't use that defense."

That didn't surprise Harry. "He doesn't inspire trust – seems like his fault. So … he's been waiting for Thor to slip?"

"Looks like it. And yes, I do agree with you. He doesn't inspire trust once he turns off the charm – and believe me, can he turn on the charm – but … he's earned it – trust, I mean." _From me_ was left unsaid. "The Bifrost here wouldn't be possible without him. He provided the initial data and equations."

"What about telling Bruce and Tony?"

Jane tilted her head and tapped her chin. "Probably Bruce, but I'll hold off on telling Tony. I love it when he's agitated. And that pout! Pepper and I laugh about it all the time. Oh, have you met her yet?"

"I saw her, if only briefly."

A beeping noise interrupted their conversation; it came from Jane's pocket. Taking her phone out and frowning, she said, "Ooh, I need to take this, Harry. Your room's down the hall on the right – look for a white sliding door. If you need anything, just call for JARVIS."

Harry had barely nodded his head before she ran off. He continued his way through the long passage. He passed by several neutral colored doors and then another hallway. He looked to his right and immediately ducked back out of sight when he saw Thor and Loki emerge from a set of double doors, arguing in heated whispers. He peeked around the corner when they turned away from him.

"What good if they are devoured by their own people? Ever since the arrival of this Orlendr, the Menn have become more distracted – too mired with internal problems. A realm troubled with civil war is no ally."

"The Menn have shown great potential," Thor tried to defend.

"The majority are sheep! Kept in the dark of an intra-galactic alliance which should have been revealed to the masses months ago. Their internal strife has delayed this – and the Orlendr has already complicated the situation."

Harry winced at the reminder. He had felt relieved at Tony's dismissive attitude about searching for the Hermione here, but now … that guilt plus the revelation about this world's dark magic sapped all of his strength. He leaned his head back on the wall and breathed out a heavy sigh.

He waited behind the corner until their whispers died down. He peeked around again and when he saw no sign of them, he continued his way through the empty hall to his room. The door slid open for him when he stood in front of it.

Passing all the wooden furniture and ignoring how the room was colored with light shades of gray and blue, Harry practically collapsed onto the bed after removing his shoes and glasses. His clothes were dirty and there were bits of pine needle in his hair, but he didn't care. He was exhausted and disconsolate.

Feeling heavy in body and heart, he crawled underneath the covers, into the white sheets and closed his eyes. His last thought before slipping into dreams was his decision to leave as soon as possible. It wasn't his place to involve himself anymore – perhaps worsening the situation, especially since he didn't fully understand this world. He should go ahead and take his chances; he was supposed to have died after falling into the Veil anyway.

Harry's back was cold.

He'll ask about adjusting the air conditioning later. With eyes still firmly shut, Harry tried to curl in deeper. His fingers prickled with numbness as he tried to bring them closer to his chest. He shivered deeper into the snow – snow?! Startled from the realization, Harry snapped his eyes open and sat up quickly, his fast movement dispersing a layer of white off of him. He looked down at his hands – they weren't blurry. He felt around his cold face to make sure, but his glasses weren't there. This had to be a dream – the only time when he didn't need his spectacles.

He couldn't sleep in peace, couldn't sleep without having strange dreams! He wished he could wake up.

His teeth chattered as he looked around him. All he could see were heavy flurries of snow falling, twirling madly. The storm was too heavy, the winds strong enough to make his eyes tear up – he couldn't see through the snow for any trees or other landmarks.

His body shook again. He needed to start moving or he'd freeze to death. Can you even die in a dream? Harry rolled onto his knees and put his weight on one foot – before he collapsed. He couldn't feel his feet, he realized with a bit of panic. Why did things feel so real? He had to find shelter … or somehow wake up, he crankily thought. Why was he dreaming of such a place? Harry slowly stood up and breathed a sigh of relief when his legs held steady. He dusted the snowflakes off his clothes – strangely made of fur and roughly woven fabric. Fur boots covered his feet and stitched fabric and animal hair over his legs and torso. With a heavy hooded cloak over his shoulders, he thought he looked like one of those Mongolian nomads traveling across the tundra and mountains.

He picked a direction – they all looked the same to him - and fought his way through the snow and ice. Even drawing his cloak closer and covering half his face, he felt like he was breathing in the snow. Deciding no real consequence should come about from a dream, Harry summoned warm air again and cupped his hands over his nose and mouth. He closed his eyes when a strong wind lashed against him.

He stumbled over something covered in the snow. Taking a closer look, Harry realized it had a light tan fur coating.

His heart beat wildly as he touched the fur in disbelief. He remembered how it felt the last time – soft and warm, but now … it was still soft – but cold! One of the paws and its sharp nails were lying in the snow, covered in the snow, buried in it. His eyes followed the paw to the mound of snow three times taller than him. He couldn't tell how tall it really was – the snow fall hadn't let up in its intensity.

"Sphinx?"

Harry wiped and pushed the offending white away from the paw up to the rest of the body. He knew in the back of his mind that she was – no, she wasn't! She can't. He uncovered the shoulders, and then the neck …

"Please no…"

He had to see this creature's face – to make sure it wasn't her.

Leaning over to reach the head, Harry gently brushed with his shaking hand. It was a woman's face, relaxed and with eyes closed.

It was her. He couldn't go home. He couldn't – ! The body vanished underneath his hands and he fell into the thickening snow.

Harry searched around, felt around with his hands. Nothing.

Blazing anger started to flood in.

He hadn't been this angry in years – only when he felt like he had absolutely no control over his life. And then heaviness clung to him. It started from his belly and then spread to his chest. He had felt this before. It was almost crushing in its weight and it prevented him from breathing in the cold air. It spread so that his entire body felt heavy and sluggish. This was no dream.

"There was no sphinx was there? Who are you?!" Harry demanded. He had felt something like this yesterday … when he had asked about Hermione. It was only a feathered touch compared to this. Horrified, he now knew that he started something, a cascade of events starting from a simple search of a name and stepping into Tony's jet.

The last time he had felt this – this burden – was when he had worked on Level 9 in a specific Hall. He had been invited by the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecy. Harry couldn't say no, not because it was part of his apprenticeship, but he had felt guilt and responsibility for destroying all the glass orbs. He remembered stepping into the freezing Hall and being surprised by the aging Keeper dressed in dusty robes. The bearded wizard appeared to have risen from the dancing shadows in the far corner of the room. Harry was asked to pull out a thread of memory of his own Prophecy into a Pensieve. A duplicate was made for a glass orb. Once finished and recorded, the ball had glowed dimly with a soft white and warmth. After that he was tasked with recording the Prophecies the Keeper could recall from memory. The Hall was never fully restored but it still had taken months.

Harry hated that room the most, because it always felt like something was clinging to him every time he entered the Hall. It was also a constant reminder of how his life had been molded by a Prophecy.

"I don't want another Prophecy! Not another Destiny! You can shove it back up your arse! Why did you send me here? I should have died like Sirius when I fell through the Veil, so why am I here?!"

He didn't know what to think. A Prophecy could imply that he had no control but then that would go against everything he wanted – needed – to believe in: that a man determines his own destiny. He didn't want to go back to the first seventeen years of his life – couldn't live as the world dragged him along.

"I'm only making things worse!" Harry shouted. The howling winds and ice were his answers.

Harry ground his teeth – it wasn't because of the cold. "Is that it?! Then I'll break your bloody Prophecy! It's people who give it its power. Their belief in the Prophecy that brings it to life. I'll break it and whatever it is, wherever its glass orb is located, it'll turn dull and brown. The mark of a failed Prophecy!"

Harry took a step back and then another. He had to leave – had to get out! He started to run and then slipped on a patch of ice. Seeing something through the snowfall he grabbed for it. It was only a thin branch of a tree and it did nothing to save him from his fall. The branch broke and he landed heavily on his back. Disoriented, he groaned out loud and thought he could feel the emerging bump on his head. He tried to move but then heard some cracking. What was that? Before he could roll on his side to make sure all his limbs were alright, he heard a final snap and then a plunge into the frigid water underneath. The shock was instantaneous as he felt his arms and legs locking in place from the cold. He gasped in air and water.

Up! He needed to be up. He Apparated up.


	15. Outgrowing Alice's Shoes

Harry appeared over air again. It was like the last dream he had where he thought he was locked inside a coffin and then escaped. What was different this time was the person standing below him. It was Loki who had stiffened in place as if he had sensed something … but hadn't yet realized someone was right above him. This wasn't going to end well.

Harry didn't have a chance to do anything before he crashed into Loki. Harry fell right through him and the climbing fog as if it was all an illusion. There was no physical collision, no contact, but Loki collapsed right by Harry as if he had been struck. Both of them turned to each other, glowers on both their faces – only tempered by the headaches both of them were experiencing.

"Damn you, boy … " Loki tightly clenched his eyes closed, covered them with a hand, and hissed the rest of his curse. " … to Muspelheim."

"Piss … off," Harry replied, struggling just as much to get the words out. He didn't feel like being polite. He still had that pent up anger, but he held it back a little because he wasn't alone. Crawling on the ground, Harry had one hand on his forehead and the other trying to push himself back up. He also wanted to say again that he wasn't a boy, but all he could do was screw his eyes shut.

Loki sat up slowly and whispered something under his breath. Harry didn't recognize the choppy language, but he figured Loki was muttering more curses. The language switched again when Loki decided the insults weren't offensive enough.

"What is this?" Harry groaned out. His brain felt scrambled and stretched. His legs kept buckling under him every time he tried to stand up. He knew he was on some kind of ground, but with his head feeling like it had been through an egg beater, he couldn't tell where was up and down. He'd have blamed Loki for all this if it weren't for the fact that Loki was suffering just as much as he was. Still sitting on the ground and careful not to move so much, Loki just hid the pain a little better.

Harry wondered if maybe making _Felix Felicis_ was possible here. He felt like he was running on a streak of bad luck – at least now Loki was in on the misery.

"Astral projections are not meant to collide with one another, you fool," Loki grounded out, still with his eyes covered. "I have stayed my blade from your throat, but oh, so many other places on you to stain with crimson."

With his head still spinning, Harry finally succeeded in standing and hadn't heard most of it. He knew it was stupid, but he felt a bit of pride for standing up first. "What?"

Loki spent a moment on the ground before getting up – ensuring his movements carried a bit more grace than Harry's. "Surely you have an equivalent for the translocation of your consciousness? Your awareness? They are _not_ meant to converge."

Harry closed his eyes; his head slowly clearing. "Yes … but it can't have happened, there's no connection anymore … "

"You are still asleep and you _are_ connected. You must be – you must have left your dreams with incredible haste if you entered here in such an uncontrollable manner."

He was still asleep? Suspicion settled in the back of his mind. Was it possible that Loki had something to do with his dreams? It didn't sound like it – Harry reminded himself who he was talking to and didn't cross out the possibility that this could be another deception. He also needed to figure out how this projection worked because he didn't want to keep landing in strange places.

The next thing Harry realized was that they weren't talking about the same connection. He guessed at what the connection might be. "The fact that I'm connected to the majority of your universe?"

"Unfortunately. Now, what were you referring to?"

"Nothing relevant." Harry looked up at the same dark starless sky and the clouds at his feet. "What is this place? I've been here before … " He turned around and in every direction it was the same. When he looked back to Loki, a creeping realization entered his mind. The invisible hand …

Loki narrowed his eyes, clearly indicating that he had caught Harry's obvious evasion. "Not for long. You were expelled quickly," was the acerbic reply.

"That was _you_?!" Harry yelled out.

"Did I not say you trespassed in more than one way?"

Harry wanted to argue – almost did but then held back. It was no use. He had stumbled in here – twice – and that first time, Loki's response was more or less justified. Still, he couldn't help thinking that Loki had found some enjoyment in freaking him out. Harry just might join Tony in getting back at Loki … somehow. How hard could it be? Harry, a Marauder's son and Tony, who was like a child stuck in an adult's body, should be able to come up with something.

"So where is this? Your secret hideout?"

With an unamused expression, Loki explained, "A pocket universe, you can say."

"That extra-dimensional space when you conjure ... " Harry looked around. Like before, he saw only rolling plumes. There was nothing here he could see, so what was Loki storing in this place? He was tempted to dispel the invisibility, but he was unsure how much of his magic he should use. He had spoken such bold words moments before about destiny … but he felt like his hands were tied. His jaw tightened at the bitter thought.

"I had just removed your taint … " Loki looked up, searching for something. "At least you did not disturb the dimensions this time."

Harry scowled at being labeled tainted. "What taint? I did what?"

With Loki's back to him, Harry waited for a response. He was surprised when Loki answered. Not by the answer, but how it was delivered.

"This space … is fragile," Loki whispered before he faced Harry fully, arrogance and formality returning quickly. Harry hadn't been expecting the soft reply and wasn't sure how to respond. In a stronger voice, Loki stated, "Orlendr, our meeting was set for tomorrow. Something has obviously changed."

Harry cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders and back before proclaiming, "I want to stay … "

"And forsake the favor from the Director of SHIELD?" Loki asked and then shrugged it off like it didn't matter that much to him. "Go on."

Harry then thought of his friends back at home. "… at least a little longer. I need to do something."

Loki had suspected it, but wasn't pleased about it. He stepped closer and threatened, "You are an Orlendr and a dark practitioner. You have no restrictions, but you also have no protections afforded to a Midgardian. What prevents me from killing you? You must agree - it is a simpler solution."

Harry felt his magic rise and the muscles in his legs ready to move if needed. He watched for Loki to make the first move.

When nothing happened, Harry simply answered, "Me." He disliked the way Loki appeared so at ease. Harry remained resolute, frowning at how casually Loki spoke about killing him. He was still trying to hide his escapes from death though and had given another answer to Loki's question, but still a truthful one.

"I'll fight back," Harry promised.

It was more than a promise.

Far from deterred, Loki spoke with a challenging smile, "Setting aside the violence for now … I know about your resurrections – " Harry grimaced. " – I am offended. You believed you can hide such an open secret? Potter in a potter's field. Quaint." Loki really did find the phrase quaint.

Harry decided to find out how Loki knew about it at a later time, but for now, he replied, "Then you should know that killing me won't work."

"Oh, being honest now, are we? Drawing dark magic after each resurrection." A cruel grin split across Loki's face – teeth fully bared. "What is one death to you? This world can surely endure one more … and then I can simply expel your carcass from this universe."

"What if I said that won't work either?" Harry didn't know for sure, but he believed going home now wasn't going to work. It was the only conclusion he could think of after seeing the dead sphinx. His belief strengthened his words. "I started a sequence of events … and I don't know what's at the end of it, but judging on what's happened, it doesn't look good."

Loki's expression changed to a bored one.

"Oh no," Loki said unenthusiastically as he searched Harry's determined face. "You have been infected with a hero's resolve. Apparently there is an epidemic."

Without giving Harry a chance to speak, Loki stepped closer to inspect Harry's clothes. "I wonder what transpired in your dreams … to inspire you."

Disliking the proximity and glaring in return, Harry forced himself from taking a step back, forced himself to stand his ground. "I don't know what happened, but I think – no, I _know_ something from my world placed me here."

"You wish to find it here? Why should I allow it?" Loki demanded.

Harry wanted to do more than find it; he wanted to hunt down whatever it is and throttle it. He shook himself from the thought and looked back to Loki. Harry needed to think fast because Loki was quickly becoming impatient. Loki wasn't only a fighter; Harry needed to fight back with something else, but he had nothing to go on. Harry tried to take a good look at Loki, who was decked out in all black again. It was business casual-formal … unfittingly human, Harry thought.

Loki was just dark – everything about him was. Out of everyone Harry had met, Loki was the odd one. Compared to everyone else, Loki was too dark. Harry wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but there was a certain pull … a bit of gravitation?

Harry got an idea. If he was wrong, there wasn't much of a consequence. He could use the outsider card to his advantage. If he was right …

"You know about dark magic … " Harry started to say and then inhaled to steady himself before delivering his next words with some certainty. "You know an awful lot – too much actually … not to have dabbled in it." There, he said it.

Harry thought Loki's reaction would be just as violent as before back in the pine forest, but he was proven wrong. Loki got an interested look … almost impressed.

"You have just made yourself … less boring," Loki said.

Harry had been right! It was the closest to a compliment Harry had received from him. Harry didn't know if it was a good thing, but he knew he was no longer being brushed to the side.

"A threat?" Loki repeated the words from an earlier conversation, amused because now both of them had something against the other.

"It is a good answer," Harry pushed. He held his breath, waiting for the next move.

"I abandoned that path," Loki finally revealed. And that was all he was going to say about it.

It looked like he had won that round. Harry breathed out in relief and finally took a good look at himself. He was still wearing that stitched fur outfit, still drenched from head to foot. He should be freezing from being immersed in the icy water, but like last time he felt no cold, no heat, nothing. His eyes traveled from his clothes to his left hand, still fisted around the broken tree branch – naked of leaves and marked with tiny bumps. He didn't recognize the wood.

"Do you have Prophecies?" Harry suddenly asked out loud. He had only hinted at it before.

Loki immediately caught the way Harry had placed importance in the last word. "I would call them self-fulfilling prophecies."

Harry would have agreed whole-heartedly … but his confidence in it was very much shaken from his _dream_. No, he had to believe it. "I need to know ... there's nothing about a Ragnarök?"

"That foolish babble is present even in your universe? It was spoken millennia ago by a crone who had inhaled too much hallucinogen."

"How can – how do you dismiss it so easily?" Harry asked eagerly. It was a well-known prophecy about the end of the current world and the deaths of several major Old Norse gods ... one of them standing in front of him.

"There is no Balder for me to kill," Loki said matter of factly. "You humans. There is a ridiculous number of stories assigning several children to me."

"So I take it Fenrir and Jormungandr … " Harry left it blank. Fenrir, the giant wolf – no surprise how Greyback got his name – and Jormungandr, a monstrous sea serpent, were supposed to be two of Loki's children and active participants in Ragnarök.

Loki gave him a look … questioning Harry's intelligence. Harry became irritated in return; he only wanted to make sure.

"A broken prophecy … ?" Harry asked himself before looking at the ground when jealousy started to leak in and fill him. Was it possible this world didn't have prophecies, no true seers, no one who could see the future? Until he came along … Harry was shaken from his train of thought when Loki spoke again.

"So you believe this universe is headed for an early, unexpected calamity? With you, to tip the balance?" Loki asked with some disbelief. Harry winced when it was put in those words. It was what he thought was the worst case scenario. "And how will you go about doing this?"

Harry watched as a large puff of white swept across his feet. His staying may or may not improve things, but leaving now … everything in him rebelled at the thought. Leaving didn't mean things will improve either. "I don't know - "

"Then it does not matter which way you go."

" – I think I need to find someone first."

Harry felt meeting Hermione was important, like it was the first step. It didn't look like he was convincing Loki very well because all Harry got was a frown.

"Oh? How can you find another, when you yourself are lost?"

"What are you talking about?" The words were barely out of Harry's mouth when the fog grew higher and heavier. Through it, he saw dark shapes emerge and heighten. Still curtained behind fog, they expanded with creaks and groans, branched out into the sky and into the ground. The area darkened, only lighted by the glow of the false moon filtering through from above. The air around Harry shivered and rippled like steam.

"They are harmless," Loki assured. "Well?"

Harry didn't know what Loki wanted, but he answered bravely, "I'll find a way."

"The pride of a hero."

Harry shook his head at the awkward label. "I'm not," Harry disagreed. "I'm not fearless, not saintly. I just know what I can't do: remain idle. It might make me predictable but I accept it as a consequence of my choice." Harry added as an afterthought, "Damn my pride."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are dangerous?" Loki asked.

Harry didn't understand why the topic changed all of a sudden. "Why are you asking this?"

"Yes or no?"

"I don't understand, but no, no one has – except for you."

"You have the belief and the conviction to follow it through – quite dangerous," Loki noted. Harry was surprised Loki wasn't talking about the dark magic. Loki didn't seem bothered by it, only interested. "Very well, let us play a game."

"A game I'm forced to play," Harry pointed out. "Why are you – Merlin, never mind!" He was getting tired of all the twists in the conversation.

"A game for your safe passage. It is optional."

Harry didn't think it was that optional if he wanted to get out of here. "Do you even follow the rules?" Harry asked with a bit of spite.

"Never, I circumvent them. Do you?" It was obvious to the both of them that Harry didn't always follow the rules either. "Hmm … your quest is to find some _one_. A small test then: a personal challenge from me. Descry my location without dispelling my illusions. You are free to use whatever is at your disposal."

As soon as Loki finished speaking, the wrinkling in the air smoothed out; in its place were the defined outline of old knobby trees. An ancient forest had sprung up around Harry. He was reminded of the Forbidden Forest on a moonlit autumn night after a heavy rain. These weren't just illusions. What was this place? It felt like – Harry struggled to define it – the solemnity of a museum, the sterility of an antique doll house, the sanctity of a tomb. Harry carefully approached one – ready to jump into action at the sign of any movement. Loki had said they were harmless, but Harry had enough experience with innocent-looking-at-first, but actually indiscriminately lethal plants to not trust what was in front of him.

"Find _me_." Loki stepped back behind a gnarled trunk – thick enough to conceal his entire frame from Harry's view. "If you are successful, I will lead you safely to the exit."

Harry stepped around the tree Loki had disappeared behind. He wasn't surprised to find it was empty. Loki didn't say what would happen if Harry failed. It wasn't necessary because he wasn't going to fail.

Harry closed his eyes to listen. This place was quieter than the pine forest – he wanted to say dead. The trees were bare of any leaves; all of them had fallen to the ground. Harry's fur boots softly crunched the brown and decaying leaves with every step. He knew the sounds were part of the façade, but he couldn't help feeling relieved from hearing them. It was reassuring in its noise – something to fill the silence.

Loki had given him quite a challenge. Harry had been bested twice because he couldn't find the real one. He understood the reasons for this. There were billions of people out there, each with their own set of masks. He needed to find one who was actively concealing herself. Harry wasn't fooled into thinking that Loki was simply hiding. He knew Loki was also watching him, seeing what other abilities Harry had.

Gripping the tree branch, he was reminded of his wand. Of course! He should have thought of it first, Harry chastised himself. It didn't occur to him sooner because he was so used to having an actual wand in his hand. Just like Lumos had worked for him without a wand, he was hoping this would too.

"Point Me, Loki Laufeyjarson." It had to be his real name. Harry remembered the look he got when he had uttered the name. In fact, the very first time he had said Laufey, the look on Loki's face spoke of shock, anger … and a little of fear. That wasn't the face of someone who was only insulted. The name meant something.

The wood twirled in his hand … continued twirling. That wasn't right; he had been sure about the name … unless Loki wasn't here. Loki didn't just leave him here, did he?

Harry concentrated, searching deep in his memory. There were many names Loki from mythology used. "Point Me, Hveðrungr," Harry tried another name. The wood spun lazily again. Harry felt like cursing at the branch, his magic, this limbo place, _and_ Loki.

Harry held the branch in his fist to stop its spinning before he opened his hand again. "Point Me, Harry Potter."

The thinnest section of the broken branch spun once and then stopped when it pointed in his direction. It stayed there, hovering above his palm.

It was working, Harry thought. Think! What was another name for Loki? "Point Me, Loptr Laufeyjarson."

The piece of wood flipped and pointed opposite to him. A sense of triumph rushed through him. Jogging and passing several trees quickly he tried to go in a straight line. He ducked under a low hanging branch and bunched up, twisted his cloak around his arm to prevent it from catching on anything. He had to leap over some large tangled roots and side step smaller skeletal bushes here and there, but he could tell he was getting closer when the branch shifted direction a little to the right. Blood pumped through his legs as he pushed himself to go faster. He knew it wasn't really blood, but he felt alive.

When the wood twisted sharply to the right, Harry skidded to a halt, squeezed in between two tall shrubs without touching them, and sprinted down this new direction. He had passed his mark. Panting lightly, he entered a small clearing by jumping down past an outcropping of crumbling rock. In the center was a tree covered with rough bark, similar to the ones he had ran past – except it was strangely marked, damaged on the side. A small portion of it had been stripped of bark. Harry looked down in his hand again and walked around the area once. Wherever he stood, his spell pointed to this tree.

Harry shook his head. It was too obvious, he thought. A lone tree – what's more, a marked one! – couldn't be it. He had gotten something wrong.

Taking a chance, Harry tried one more time. "Point Me, Loki Odinson."

The wood paused for a moment before it pointed to the left of the tree. Harry slowly approached the spot his spell was guiding him. He took two steps forward before the air shimmered – Harry stopped – and Loki stepped out.

The game was over.

Harry's sharp eyes caught the flicker of uncertainty and – was that contentment? – before Loki covered himself behind another mask.

"A convenient skill," Loki commented with a tint of annoyance before turning around.

Harry thought that Loki probably felt cheated; Harry had overcome a challenge from the God of Mischief and Lies. It was also a major blow – Loki now knew another one of Harry's abilities, but it didn't make up for the apparent advantage Harry now had; Harry could now fully nullify Loki's illusions. Loki's comment more than indicated how he felt about Harry's spell, but it held none of the usual bite, no sting, no scathing undertone. Harry had called him by name … not the one he was born with, but the one he felt the most association. The one that he treasured … the one he felt defined him.

"As per our agreement … " Loki said as he started to walk around the tree he had hidden behind and up a slow incline out of the clearing. He didn't look back to make sure if Harry was following. Harry didn't feel like staying here either.

They had only traveled for a half a minute before Harry asked, "I need to know how much I'm damaging your world when I use my magic. I'm assuming there's not much of a consequence here, because you didn't stop me, but out there?"

"I was certain you were not human. Do you know why?" Loki asked from ahead of him.

"My abilities."

"No. I can sense the way objects move – see beyond visible light. What is peculiar … is what I do not see from you. You do not appear human. Now it is obvious you hail from a different world – operating under different laws, but they should clash, discordant with ours. You have somehow wrapped darkness around you like a buffer - transforming, conforming to the laws here."

"Like a protective barrier?" Harry asked with some hope. It explained why nothing from Tony's house exploded with Harry's magic use.

"If you do something truly impossible, contradictory, the buffer will compensate. Equilibrium."

"This doesn't sound so bad," Harry said with some relief.

"As long as you do not draw in anymore; as long as you do not break _our_ laws and constants."

Harry remembered the breakfast conversation he had with Bruce and Tony. There were a lot of equivalents already. He wasn't sure about his full repertoire of conjurations and transfigurations, but they might be okay. The only one he knew that he had been doing that was incongruous in both worlds was …

"Abstain from dying," Loki added to irritate him.

It worked, as annoyance filled Harry. "I figured out that much, funnily enough."

Loki's eyes unfocused for a moment before clearing again. "Be warned: You can hide from others, but you cannot hide from another dark practitioner."

Harry read that to mean he couldn't hide from Loki as much as Loki could now no longer hide from him. It sounded like there were others though. "Is there a way to see like you?"

"You mistake me for human," Loki replied.

"That's a no." Apparently human eyes weren't built for it.

While the two trekked their way through the forest, Harry became curious about the trees again. Loki was leading him carefully around the trees – giving them a wide berth when possible.

"These – they aren't illusions, are they?" Harry asked and then corrected himself. "They're illusions – just that there's something underneath them." The challenge was over and still feeling bold, Harry reached out to the closest tree.

His hand was stopped inches away as Loki's hand passed through his arm. Harry flinched as his head felt like it was in two places at once.

Loki wasn't unaffected either but hid the discomfort behind a stern expression. With a warning in his eyes, Loki tightly said, "I advise you to leave them."

"What are they?" Harry grounded out.

 _"War_ is coming, Orlendr."

Harry hadn't expected such an answer. He assumed it was somehow related. "I overheard your conversation in the hallway with Thor about an alliance. Is that it? I wasn't trying to eavesdrop – sorry. I didn't realize … that." Even Harry was unsure what he meant by _that_.

Loki paused to look at Harry before a slow smirk creased across his face. "You should realize it is _very_ difficult to eavesdrop on me."

Harry frowned. "Was that – it was on purpose! You wanted me to hear it. Were you trying to guilt-trip me into leaving?"

"Not trying, succeeded … until your inspirational dream. Did I not say you are predictable?"

Harry wouldn't call it inspirational, but maddening. "Don't manipulate me."

"You are under the delusion that I have some obligation to be transparent to you. Nevertheless, it is the truth. If it irks you terribly, the solution is simple: Do not allow yourself to be manipulated."

"Then I shouldn't trust anything you say."

"That is one option, but a foolish one. I have not lied to you once. Quite generous."

Loki had been brutally honest with him, Harry knew. It was when Loki was charming that he had to watch out.

"I am not referring to this petty squabble among the Menn," Loki said to bring them back on topic.

"The invasion from last year?"

"Yes."

"Are you … ?" Harry started to ask as an inkling formed in his head. "You're what Jane wasn't telling me?"

Loki stopped in his walk to turn around. "I am disappointed; she has more to learn if you could glean that from her."

"She wasn't trying to hide it," Harry tried to defend Jane.

Loki's expression didn't change. "I am uncertain whether that is better." He resumed his fast pace through the forest before he announced, "I was the herald of the first wave. I had thought you to be the harbinger of the second."

Harry didn't think he had heard that right. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked, momentarily distracted from thinking about how Loki and the invasion were connected.

"I do not believe in your Prophecies as you do, but I do not believe in coincidence either. An _enemy_ approaches ... You still wish to remain here?"

Harry was stunned. There was someone who made even Loki worry? Without thinking about it, Harry's words slipped from his mouth. "Merlin, _yes_."

Loki stopped again and then snapped out his wrist to bend his hand so that his palm was facing out. "You will need to know this symbol on your … extended stay here."

Harry remembered the first time he saw it. All the fingers were pointed down, thumb held out, and the palm facing him fully. "What does it mean?"

"You may follow different laws – incompatible with ours – but you are still a practitioner. This is a greeting, a salutation, amongst people like us. The open palm signifies that we require no tools, no instruments to practice."

With his right hand, Harry imitated the sign. "Like this?"

Loki stiffly nodded. " _Welcome_ , fellow practitioner."

Harry felt this moment was important. The words were spoken quietly and didn't have the same enthusiasm Thor's greeting had, but they were still powerful, with a subtle force. The moment passed when Loki pointed to a dense group of small trees down his line of sight.

"Now, continue through the copse of trees and you will find your exit," Loki said before turning in another direction, leaving Harry behind. Before Loki vanished completely, Harry had one more thing to say.

" _I know what kind of person you are_ ," Harry repeated Loki's words to catch his attention.

Loki spun back around on his heels, impatiently waiting for Harry to get to the point.

"I once knew someone like you." Harry was taking in the words that were used against him and returning them. Memories of someone who went past the _line_ , pulled himself back, and then tip-toed it trickled into Harry's mind. "You hide it all the time; you are a trickster figure. It doesn't change anything though. You have people who you care about – very few, I'm sure, but _it makes you predictable_. I may not know what your next move is … but I know what guides them. I also know your final one. No matter what happens, your final move is set: You will always protect them – sacrifice for them."

Loki narrowed his eyes. Harry interpreted that as him being chafed but not angry. Loki didn't respond except to slip behind the thick fog and disappear.

* * *

Harry pulled the comforter higher, over his head to block the streams of sunlight from the window. He pushed the covers back down when it got too stuffy. Why aren't the curtains working properly? He'll have to talk to Kreacher about getting new ones. He groaned and rolled over away from the window – the light was there on the other side too. Burying his face into the pillow, his mind slowly registered that he wasn't in his bed at home. That it wasn't sunlight but the glare from the fluorescent lights above. His eyes lazily opened – to see the fuzzy outline of his bed - and then closed again. He was still very far from home.

Alone and still comfortable under the covers, he thought of another time, another lifetime.

"You are, of course, wondering why it is I have brought you here tonight," Dumbledore had said after Side-Along Apparating to meet Horace Slughorn.

"Actually, sir, after all these years, I just sort of go with it," Harry had answered – very lightly. It was a boy's answer. With so many things happening, all Harry could do was _react_. After the Battle of Hogwarts, he could finally _act_.

Harry Potter was no longer a boy. He had grown and settled into a quiet life – a life where he went to work every day, a life filled with friends he unabashedly called _family_. It was what he had wanted, but in the middle of this normal life he had built for himself, there was still something pulling him back. He would have remained with Ginny, got into the Aurors program – and who knows? – maybe become the next Head of the Aurors Department, but he had turned away from all that to pursue at first, the reason why he still looked seventeen years old. Hermione had been surprised that he had chosen the Department of Mysteries.

"An Unspeakable, Harry? You're built more for the Aurors – you even received an invitation and with Kingsley's support … " Hermione had said.

"I know, but it's something I'm … interested in," Harry had finished lamely.

"Hermione, let him do it," Ron had pleaded to her.

"You're still not over Sirius?" Hermione had asked, worriedly. She was actually asking a different question.

"I'm still angry, but no … I just want to figure out something," Harry had answered trying to assuage what he thought was her unfounded fear. He hadn't told them directly, but he was sure they knew somehow, that he was also interested in the Hall of Prophecy. That his second reason for his choice was to answer the question of why?

He had searched for almost twenty years for answers. Through the years, he wasn't sure he had found them, but he sure wasn't satisfied with what he had found. Prophecies could be broken – every single brown glass orb in the Hall was proof. It was difficult and a very rare occurrence, but still possible. It made him a little bitter; he felt the victim of circumstance, that if Tom had merely dismissed the Prophecy – even if it was only a partial one he had heard - it would have been broken. Dumbledore even believed it and he had died believing it. So many people had died so that Harry could live.

A little voice in Harry's head called him a coward.

Harry shook his head. He wasn't a coward; if Neville had become the Chosen One, Harry would still have fought and sacrificed. If neither of them was the Chosen One, Harry honestly believed they would have won another way. He just didn't understand how his early life had turned out the way it did. It felt like he had pulled the short straw. It felt like other people's choices, their destinies had competed with his – and his lost, thereby determining his.

But here – here, he was going to change things. He didn't know what destiny was planned for him here, but he wouldn't play the puppet anymore. If he were to follow any destiny, it would be one he chose!

He understood his position: he was a guest here in every sense of the word. He had to be careful; he couldn't bulldoze over things ... because that was the action of the young or the arrogant - and Harry was neither, at least he hoped he wasn't. He still had some doubt on staying here but to Harry, doing nothing was the worst option. He was done staying on the sidelines. That dream had shown him that it wasn't _their_ problems anymore, but _his_ too.

Heartened, he quickly pushed back the covers, leaned over to grab his glasses and placed them back over his eyes. The lines and colors in the room cleared and solidified. He pushed himself up and realized that he had something in his hand. It was long with a rough point at the end – and for one heart-stopping moment, he thought he had brought something back from his dream - or not-dream – he didn't know what the hell it was. His left hand was still under his pillow and holding onto his broken wand. He had slipped it underneath his pillow as was his habit.

He didn't know why he did it. He knew the spell worked; it had worked on the door and on Tony's car. It was almost like a dare to himself.

" _Reparo_ ," Harry whispered.

The handle and the tip snapped together with a crack. With a searing hot light, the wood fused together – a jagged trail marking the fracture. The break point slowly faded, seamless on his Holly wand.

He had just repaired a magical item … even Ollivander couldn't do it.

He shivered. Only one other time had he done it, but he had destroyed it! He had thought returning it to Dumbledore's tomb wasn't enough. He had broken it, had felt relief when the wood snapped under his hands and was thrown off the bridge. That should have been the end!

The end of … the Elder Wand.

Death Stick.

Wand of Destiny. Wand of … Destiny…

 _Destiny_!

If that wasn't enough, something else happened. While staring, marveling, dreading over his fixed wand, he noticed it felt empty. Where was that joyful spark upon reunion with one's own wand? He waved it around … nothing. Peering closely at every groove and grain upon the wood, he came upon a little bump on the side, near the tip. It started to grow larger like a little wart.

And then as if he had done a bit of clever transfiguration work ... a leaf sprouted out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read somewhere that the Cheshire Grin was once a Celtic term for death by cutting the throat or hanging, named probably because of the pattern left on the throat. Lewis Carroll packed a lot of references in his book – and math! He was a mathematician after all. His original illustrations of Alice had dark hair, not blonde.  
> I like Rowling's Harry. Using as much from canon is my nod of respect to her. What drew me to the books was Harry's likability. That someone ordinary and humble in character can still do extraordinary things – even as damaged as he is.


	16. Grand Theft Auto

Harry stared at the little leaf. It was only a quarter of an inch. It was a nice young green, soft, still slightly curled, and –

He tore it off.

He didn't want it there. What _happened_?! Harry tried to summon his shoes from the other side of the bed through his wand. The shoes came flying and he caught them one-handed, but the spell hadn't gone through the wand as it should have. The wand was useless. He didn't understand … did he overshoot with the _Reparo_ this time like he had the other spells? He laughed humorlessly – well if that was the case, it was better than thinking that he had somehow kept the Elder Wand's power. Harry felt foolish for thinking it.

Another leaf popped out from the other side of the wand.

Harry tore this one off too. He waited for a moment to see if another would come out, when nothing happened, he sighed. In his hand, he felt the handle of the wand change – like something was writhing right below its surface. He quickly held it eye-level and little bumps started to form underneath the wood.

A white fuzzy root poked out.

"I give up. _I give up_." Harry shook his head and threw the wand on the bed. He didn't want to think about it right now – it was just confusing and frustrating.

"JARVIS?" Harry asked. He felt a little foolish asking an empty room when he wasn't sure if JARVIS could hear him.

The AI promptly answered. "Mr. Potter, do you require assistance?"

"Oh, you're here too."

"In a limited capacity. Audio is enabled, but visual is not."

"Why not include cameras? I didn't think Tony was that considerate on privacy, based on what was in his house."

"These rooms host diplomatic guests who come through the Bifrost. The younger Mr. Odinson had all the cameras removed – much to Mr. Stark's chagrin."

Well this was convenient because he didn't have to find them and disable them himself. He didn't mind JARVIS's presence, but the cameras were a little too much, particularly in the bedrooms. Harry wouldn't have minded the exercise though; he wanted to test out if _Immobilus_ worked on any small electronics. Slughorn had used it on muggle burglar alarms after all. Harry chuckled at the thought as he started exploring the rest of his room and the adjoining bathroom.

The layout was similar to the one in Tony's house but with much less metal and glass. There was also a sitting room partitioned away from the bedroom. The rooms exuded the feeling of comfort with its neutral cool colors and wooden pieces set in either straight lines or smooth curves.

Seeing the shower stall reminded him that he needed to get clean. He scratched his neck, feeling the dirt and sweat under his fingertips. He wanted a shower – badly. He had slept with everything on, even his coat; he had been that tired last night. After a quick shower and stepping out of the stall, he realized that he had lost all his packed clothes, probably still strewn across that pine forest. He magically cleaned the ones he had been wearing and placed them back on. He'd have to ask for more clothes later, but he felt awkward doing it when he had nothing to offer in return.

Before he left the room, he glanced back at his unmade bed. His Holly wand still lying in the middle – it had gained two more curled leaves and several root hairs. For some reason, he felt like he was betraying it if he left it to die. Oddly it reminded him of Slughorn's pet goldfish, the one his mother had heavily charmed from a lily petal. His sentimentality was kind of stupid he knew, it was only a charmed plant, but like a real one, it would "die" if it didn't get any water or nutrients.

Making his mind, he looked around the room and found a potted plant on the dresser. It was dead and brown. All the leaves had wilted and dried to the point that he couldn't even guess what it had been. No one had watered it. Harry thought no one had told Tony's bots to do it because the room looked like it was regularly cleaned. There was no dust on the dresser when he swept a finger across its surface.

Harry looked at his hand and with confidence, he decided to try new spells wandlessly and nonverbally. Ever since yesterday's fight, he had found it easier and easier to cast without words. With _Evanesco_ , Harry removed the plant and brought the pot over to his bed. Sitting down with the pot in his lap, he dug a small hole in the soil with his fingers and planted his wand in it. He stood up to get some water from the bathroom sink. Hand poised over the knob, Harry decided to conjure the water instead. Without a wand, he moved his index and middle fingers together in a rippling motion. _Aguamenti_ came out a little too strong, the jet of water splashing out of the sink onto the mirror and his clothes.

Harry groaned at the mess he made. He was glad he had tried it in the bathroom. A second attempt proved to be better; he had more control over the amount of water and adjusted it for the small clay pot in his other hand. He vanished the water on the floor and dried his clothes with the same spell Dumbledore had used once on him.

While gently placing the pot back on the dresser, he decided to change the room as extra practice. He started with darkening the color of the wood to a red-black and the blues and grays to a burnt gold. It darkened the room considerably, but these were the colors Kreacher had decorated his room back in Grimmauld Place as a kind gesture and an acknowledgment to Harry's Gryffindor House.

Accustomed to a curtained bed, he wanted to add curtains to this one. It shouldn't be difficult, but he wanted to have better control of his spells after the mess around the sink and that meant getting a rough value for the amount of power. Harry did a quick mental calculation of _t_ , where transfiguration is successful above a certain threshold value.

t = Z(w x c)/(v x a)

Since his concentration c was a little lower, he'd need to compensate for a little bit more power w … which wasn't a problem here, Harry thought happily. With an outstretched hand, he forced the frame of the bed to stretch up on the corners to form four pillars and then linked them at the top. With an _Engorgio_ , Harry enlarged one of the reddened bed sheets to serve as curtains. He levitated this up to cover over the new bed.

He had just finished with his handiwork when someone called him through the door. It was muffled but he could tell that it was Jane on the other side. He opened the door to let her in.

"Good morning," Harry said politely.

"Morning. You're better today," Jane commented as she stepped inside.

"Err – yes, I am," Harry agreed, surprised at her assessment of him.

"I take it you decided to stay?"

Flustered, Harry nodded his head.

Jane smiled as she sat down on one of the sectional sofas in the corner. "I can tell. You were bogged down yesterday with all that bad news. You're still anxious on the side, but you walk with a bit more confidence and you smile easier now. I don't think you'd be feeling like that if you were still trying to figure out how to get back." Jane then leaned a little closer and whispered, "The room was a dead giveaway."

Harry didn't ask about why she wasn't surprised with all the transfigurations. He figured someone probably told her, maybe Bruce. She looked around with a curious expression on her face though, similar to the ones Bruce and Tony wore when Harry performed a bit of magic.

Loud banging was heard on the door. "I know you're up!"

Harry grimaced at all the ruckus. "JARVIS, the door please."

"Staying right?" Tony asked, poking his head into the room when the door slid to the side. "I knew it."

Jane gave him a look. "No, you didn't."

"What changed your mind?"

Harry didn't feel like talking about all the reasons for his staying, but he would at least give them an honest answer. "I want to stay a little longer. I apologized to you yesterday, but let me extend that. I want to be of some use."

Tony smirked. "We've been around Loki enough to know when someone's not saying everything." He laughed at Harry's shocked face. "Just kidding. He told us why you're staying. Something about a late night chat."

"Yes … a late night chat," Harry awkwardly commented. "He told you?"

"Why wouldn't he? We're buds. Sure, we got off on a rocky start. He threw me off my tower – remember that? – I smacked him with my Mark VIII, I called his mother a bitch, and he called mine a sow. Yup."

"And you're friends?" Harry enunciated the last word in disbelief.

Tony shrugged. "Well I still need to pay him back for having me tackled. Probably something about poetic justice when I did the same thing to Thor – though I'm sure Thor doesn't see it that way."

Harry perked up a little at hearing about Tony's intentions.

"Harry … please don't," Jane urged, leaning closer to him to whisper in his ear. "You're unbalancing the universe here. Bruce and I would like to keep their pranks just between the two – to minimize collateral damage to the rest of us."

"Hey, I heard that," Tony complained.

Harry didn't say anything, because he wasn't planning on listening to her. He hoped dearly that she didn't notice. He quickly changed the topic to a more somber one. "You're okay with me - staying?"

"Don't know about what you think is from your world, but more people on our side, sure!" Tony replied.

"Well, we think something's been going on for a while now. Loki is adamant that it is, but he hasn't been able to come up with anything concrete," Jane said.

Tony leaned on the doorway before admitting, "He's paranoid like hell but he's not delusional. He also has the best idea of what the other side has. There's going to be another attack soon, but we don't know how. Before, they were coming through a portal but I don't think there's going to be a bottleneck this time. They're invading the old-fashioned way. Asgard is a definite target but so is earth. This is why the Bifrost is so important; alone, we'd be overwhelmed. It also makes us a target. The power source for it almost rivals the Tesseract: their original objective. You're also sitting about several hundred feet away from our Bifrost – powered by the Cosmic Cube." Tony placed air quotes around the name of the object. "That was its previous codename. Cube's easier to say. We took it from AIM – once a competitor of Stark Industries – " Tony grinned. " – after they had attacked SHIELD."

"Your Cube's a double-edge sword," Harry realized.

Tony grunted his agreement before he walked into the room and looked around. "That kind of day huh?"

"What kind of day?" Harry asked. "I'm certain we have little in common."

"You remodeled. I have those days too – but I usually start it with a sledgehammer to the wall. That trans - "

Harry cast _Muffliato_ around the room in the middle of Tony's sentence.

" – figuration thing?" Tony finished without even realizing what Harry had done. Harry nodded at Tony's question.

"Is everything alright?" JARVIS asked all of a sudden.

"JARVIS?" Harry called out to test the spell. Both Tony and Jane were surprised no answer came. "I just gave us some privacy. It should sound like buzzing to people outside this room and I suppose to your recording devices." Harry then stepped out of the room and called out again, "JARVIS?"

"Yes sir?"

"Just checking. Tony, you might want to come out here to reassure him."

"Stop being a mother hen, JARVIS," Tony called out before stepping back inside the room. "Huh, neat trick. Manipulating the vibrations from a distance … " Tony commented.

"Tony, I have a way of tracking Hermione – " Harry quickly added, " – Granger." He suddenly felt uncomfortable using only the first name when he hadn't even met her.

Tony paused to think about it before answering, "I need to find out about my jet first, but I'll help you find her afterwards. I am very _interested_ in how she hacks."

"I'm surprised you want to do this. I mean, isn't pursuing her dangerous to you? That Fury said something about the Council not approving you anymore?"

"Whatever they have, it's too dangerous in their hands. It's too much power. Besides, he gave us the information, so I'm going to use it. "

"You sure about that?" Harry asked with a half-smile.

"Nope, but I'm going to do it anyway." When Harry showed hesitation at what appeared to be Tony's recklessness, Tony added, "Look, I'm not just doing it because I'm annoyed at the breach of security. They just get information too easily and I don't like the way they think. They almost wiped Manhattan off the face of the Earth last year."

"I'm sorry, what? I thought you were fighting the err Chitauri … and Loki."

"He told you that?" Jane asked, genuinely surprised.

"I guessed he had something to do with what you weren't telling me yesterday … and he elaborated a bit."

"Oh, good guess," Jane complimented.

"He looked disappointed in you though … sorry."

Jane laughed at Harry's contrite expression. "It's fine. It was my decision and my words. I think it turned out alright."

"I'd like to know more about the coming war," Harry requested.

"Alright, let's start filling the gaps," Jane consented while Tony finally sat down and started tapping on the center table to bring up some videos. "Loki had bargained with the enemy, a trade for a portion of the Chitauri army if he gave them the Tesseract. It's described as having unlimited energy – "

"Eh, not sure about that," Tony interrupted. He expanded a photo of the Tesseract for Harry to see.

"It has to produce that power from something or somewhere, right?" Harry asked. He scooted closer to the table to take the artifact's details. It was surprisingly ordinary-looking with its perpendicular lines; only its blue glow marking it special.

"Yea, anyway, we saved the day and Bruce kicked his ass –" Tony snickered. "I think Loki's still a little sore about it."

"How?" Harry asked eagerly, excited at the thought.

"Ask Bruce," Jane suggested before Tony could answer. Surprisingly, Tony backed down and nodded his agreement.

"Where is he this morning?" Harry asked.

"He's at the Bifrost doing some routine checks."

"Oh."

"About that, Bruce and probably Steve - who also works for SHIELD - are the only two humans who can go in there and not have to worry about the Cube's effects," Jane noted. "I thought you should know since you're so close to it, but don't worry, the walls are very thick."

"What's dangerous about it?"

"Well … both the Tesseract and the Cube emit very low background gamma radiation, about the same level as we would feel from the sun after it's gone through the atmosphere, but both of them have the potential of releasing more," Jane explained.

Tony looked disappointed. "I have to question the intelligence of some of SHIELD's researchers when they allowed Fury to go around with it without any eye protection – at minimum!"

Jane winced. "I'm sure it wasn't intentional."

"I mean, seriously, did _no one_ think about the very real possibility that if something emits gamma radiation it would also emit beta and alpha? Alpha's not so bad, but beta! I think my eyesight got worse!"

"Now you're just imagining, you were wearing protective contacts."

"The emotional damage, Jane."

Jane ignored him and said, "The artifact's now back on Asgard."

Harry wondered if Asgard was - "What he's trying to protect … but why is he here and not on Asgard? And what prevents him from striking another bargain?" Harry knew he was asking some tough questions but they've become surprisingly open about all this.

"He's on earth because he thinks the next attack will be here. We're seen as the weakest of the realms – at least to the rest of them – and we have the Cube," Jane elucidated.

"Ah okay, so the weakest link with a powerful object."

Tony added, "There's also something weird about the creation of the Cube. Based on known physics at the time, AIM shouldn't have been able to make it. I'm all for humankind and our own ingenuity, but what AIM did was quite a leap. The guy who was spearheading the project, George Clinton was the _closest_ one in the world to solving it, but he shouldn't have – well, solved it. Okay, okay, he didn't solve it but he had all the information to do it. There was some missing knowledge that he apparently had and written down that his successor later found and put together. We've been bashing our heads over this and we can't figure out how he came up with the information, which means that he was given it. Loki supports our suspicion because even the Asgardians didn't have nearly the capability of producing something like the Tesseract when they were at the same level as our technology. He's been searching in AIM's records for a clue about Clinton's disturbingly insightful eureka moment."

"And my other question?" Harry pressed.

"I don't think he ever intended to give the Tesseract to them – more likely he meant to keep both. I never asked," Jane admitted. It didn't look like she had any plans to ask either.

"I see … what's the point of an army if it can be easily wiped out by humans, right? He'd be trading for something inferior."

"Right," Tony agreed. "For an advanced race they dropped like flies when I sent the nuclear missile their direction – I, Robot style! I think they've learned their lesson, so we can't use the same trick again."

"The missile?"

"That Council sent a nuclear missile into Manhattan with people still in it. The city wasn't even half-way evacuated before they launched it. Those retards."

Harry shook his head at the thought. "I don't understand why they would do it. It seems like a clearly horrible option. An argument can be made if it was absolutely the last and only option, but you're making it sound like it wasn't."

"I did say they're retards. The public doesn't know about it. We actually took care of it; the missile was personally delivered safely out of the city – by yours truly – through the portal the Chitauri were flying through. If that missile had detonated in Manhattan … game over."

Tony showed him a video recorded from inside his Iron Man suit, sans the audio. The portal was a literal hole in the sky, Harry thought. It was a little difficult to watch since there was a lot of movement, but Harry could finally appreciate the magnitude of the _flying worms_ … and Tony called this battle easy. These weren't worms, more like leviathans. The Second Wizarding War was the only thing Harry could draw experience from, but he wondered how much of it he could use here. He had learned very little strategy because he was too busy running around finding the Horcruxes. He doubted all of the strategies he saw in the Battle of Hogwarts would work here – the scale of the fighting too different. They could wipe out entire cities!

Jane admitted, "I don't know what the political climate is like in your universe, but the U.S. and several other countries need only to push a button to practically end human civilization. The Cuban Missile Crisis for example and now the rising tensions on the eastern side of Asia."

"I think it's the same there," Harry replied. "I don't keep up with muggle – "

Jane laughed and then when she saw Harry's mildly annoyed face, she immediately apologized, "Bruce told me what that word meant. It just sounded funny. I'm sorry, please continue."

" - muggle politics that much." Harry had heard from Hermione about the general state of the muggle world. With her working so closely with Kingsley Shacklebolt, she sometimes relayed between the Ministry of Magic and the British Prime Minister's office. "I do understand it only takes one nuclear bomb, just one explosion and the rest of the world will follow. This Council … does it sit above your countries?"

"I don't think they're connected to the United Nations, but they act like they sit above everyone. They're not known to the public either, so if that missile had struck, there would be no country to claim it. Even if all the Chitauri were wiped out with the missile…" Tony shook his head at the thought. "…we still would have lost …" Tony didn't have to finish it, because like he had said before, it would be the end.

"And your Fury was alright with this?" Harry pointed at the video when it got to the missile's detonation. Harry didn't know what happened after the video abruptly stopped but something bothered him about the sequence of events. "Tony, you're still here and alive. Did you go through the portal a second time?"

"Yeah," Tony said with a smile before he offered Harry some encouragement. "You're thinking in the right direction."

"If you went through it, then so did some of that radiation from the missile. Travels at the speed of light, right?"

Tony laughed. "Nice, you noticed something that most people didn't."

"New York hasn't been abandoned so it means something stopped it from reaching the city."

"Someone," Jane corrected.

"Loki's doing?" Harry also noticed another strange detail. "The other side of the portal looks like open space. A vacuum should … "

"Don't worry, the evil Spaceballs didn't get our air," Tony interjected. Neither Jane nor Harry got his reference.

"Anyway, he called our nuclear technology crude and had trouble grasping how, as a race, we could spout about goodwill to others while simultaneously harboring such an incredibly self-destructive nature," Jane conceded with a grimace. "Back to your question, he had designed the portal in such a way to prevent our air from escaping and the radiation naturally unimpeded in space from going through to us. Tony took advantage of that forethought when he flew through the portal."

"Because you couldn't detect anything coming through. That's how you knew you could push it to them," Harry answered correctly. "And about Fury?"

"He refused their order to launch the missile. I'll give him that. I overheard their brief communication when JARVIS had successfully hacked into their network," Tony supplied.

"This makes me believe that he wants you to find her … right under the Council's nose," Harry concluded.

"Bruce and I discussed it last night – we came up with the same thing."

"Why not come out and say it then?"

"Fury is the leader of a spy organization. He knows how people think … " Jane looked in Tony's direction. "Tony, he knows how _you_ think. Didn't Romanova do a complete psychological profile on you?"

"Wait, wait, you're saying that Fury manipulated Tony into doing this?" Harry asked.

Tony's mouth opened like a fish before he cursed.

"Admit it, you tend not to listen to him if you're given orders," Jane pointed out.

"Yeah … but …" Tony weakly defended.

Harry thought Tony fit the image of a deflated balloon pretty well. "We can start looking right now."

"There's something else that needs to be done first," Tony disagreed after one final scowl.

"I don't want to push this off too long," Harry replied.

Tony crossed his arms to contemplate before asking, "Do you know where she is? How far she is?"

"No, but let me check quickly." Harry summoned a pen that had been lying next to a notepad on the table. He cast the Point Me spell silently on the pen and then focused on her name. Like the needle of a compass, the tip of the pen floated and then stayed at a particular spot.

"Does it go in a straight line? It doesn't assume the curvature of the earth is planar?" Jane inquired interestedly.

"Yes, it's a straight line. So I know from this that she's not on the other side of the globe, otherwise it would be pointing straight into the ground."

"Rough estimate … it looks like she's on the Northern Hemisphere, probably on the north-eastern coast," she remarked.

"I want to visit that cargo guy you mentioned yesterday. Guy Fleegman. Several of the crew members said he acted strangely. I tried calling his number, but no answer. He lives back in LA, so we'd be going the opposite direction." When Harry frowned, Tony suggested, "Unless you can teleport us to the eastern coast?"

Harry shook his head. "I haven't been there, so I can't." He also wasn't sure he could go over that distance back to LA, but he kept it to himself for now. He could always use a Portkey.

"Then it sounds like LA first, because you _have_ been there before. It shouldn't take long, probably just one or two hours at the most … I hope. We can take a flight straight to New York and go from there if your teleporting tires you out. If you show your pen trick to JARVIS he can probably measure the direction and angle, pinpoint where the line intersects the surface of the earth … assuming she's on ground level."

"I'm bringing you back here but then we're flying to New York afterwards?" Harry asked with a cringe. He didn't want another flight so soon after the disaster yesterday, but he'll do it if left with no other alternative.

"I do want to meet this Granger, but I really need to get this PR disaster with my jet taken care of first. Yesterday, there were no casualties, but that's not a guarantee for the next time something like this happens. Two hours, tops."

Harry sighed, agreeing with how Tony prioritized. "Alright."

"Tony, JARVIS is now a liability," Jane reminded him as she stood up. "Nothing about Granger remember?"

"Dammit, I forgot." Tony's excitement died down. "Not having him watch my back – this is going to take a while to get use to … at least until we solve how the Council hacks into my stuff."

Jane looked at her watch. "Looks like you two have got the day planned out. I'll see you guys when you get back. I've got a meeting in fifteen minutes. Good hunting," Jane said as she departed from the room.

With the seat next to him empty, Harry brought his legs up and stretched them out over the sofa. "I didn't ask, but why are you personally going to meet this man? I thought you're recognizable on the streets."

"Well, you were shocked when I pointed out your age the first time … implying that you somehow conceal it. So … can you?" Tony asked with some glee. "Natasha and Clint – you haven't met him yet – are espionage experts, but with you around, we can make it work."

Harry grimaced. "They're minor glamour charms; they won't change you entirely. You'd still be recognizable – but I do have something else."

Harry waved his hand around and behind his body in a circle motion. It looked like he had melted into the wall.

"Like a chameleon. Yeah, this'll work," Tony said excitedly. "Can you do that on me?"

With a camouflaged hand, Harry swiped his hand in Tony's direction. Like Harry had done when Moody had applied the Disillusionment Charm, Tony shivered at the raw egg feeling. "Wasn't expecting that."

"That's a normal effect," Harry commented before he removed the charm from himself. "What's the distance between here and LA?"

"About 600-700 miles."

Harry had come close to that distance before. He actually didn't know his personal limit but he knew that if a person ever got a headache after Apparition, then they had about reached their limit. Harry had traveled across the English Channel before, and while he was confident he wouldn't Splinch himself, he had felt an uncomfortable pressure reaching from around his eyes to the back of his head. "I want to check on something first. I'll be right back."

"What –"

Tony's question was cut off when Harry closed his eyes to focus and Apparated back into Tony's Malibu house to fetch the remainder of his clothes. Harry inspected himself for missing digits or eyebrows. Yes! There was a mild strain in the back of his head, barely noticeable, but Harry had successfully Apparated the longest distance yet. He was greeted by the whiteness of the room and JARVIS's voice.

"Welcome, sir. How may I assist you here?"

"Oh no nothing. I'm just here to pick up some clothes." Harry grabbed the rest of his clothes that he had left behind and with a wave to JARVIS, Disapparated out.

"Back," Harry said as he dropped the clothes on the bed. He'd deal with them later.

"I guess everything's ok? Let's go now to the airstrip," Tony said. "I had it vacated."

Harry applied a glamour to age his face before he Disapparated with Tony back to the airstrip on the outskirts of L.A.

* * *

Harry hadn't been trying to make the ride any rougher, but he definitely enjoyed himself when Tony tripped upon arrival. Tony had to grab onto the side of the metal hangar to catch himself.

"That was a hell of a thing," Tony commented while blinking a couple of times and shaking his head to clear the dizzying feeling from Apparition. "No wonder Bruce was shaken."

"So how do we get to Fleegman's place from here?"

"One of my cars is here, but …" Tony pointed inside the hangar. It was a lightning yellow supercar, very flashy and very expensive.

"Isn't that conspicuous? How about something like Coulson's?"

Tony turned away from his car and sighed at Coulson's black four-door car that was waiting innocently out on the concrete, baking in the sun. "Do we have to take Agent's leased Acura TL? It's so … average."

"Is that wrong? That's probably why he chose it. I thought you didn't want to stand out."

"Yeah, but it's a V6 sedan, it's so standard – the only redeeming quality is that it's a manual. _You_ could even drive this thing!"

Harry was trying not to take it as an insult and suggested, "That sounds like a brilliant idea, better than you behind the wheel."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I can drive a Formula One car! But sure, this might be fun," Tony said before he took out his phone, swiped his fingers a few times over the clear screen and getting in the passenger seat when the car doors unlocked. Harry was surprised Tony willingly got into the car, especially since Harry was an untested driver. "I like attention but having a semi-invisible man in the driver's seat would get the wrong kind."

Harry felt a rush, a thrill as he opened the car door, sat on the leather seat, and buckled on the seatbelt. He figured Tony's phone acted as the electronic key and pressed the push start button next to the wheel. A sense of giddiness filled him as the engine rumbled and purred to life.

It wasn't a broom but he was very confident he could drive it. He had been watching his Uncle Vernon drive for a number of years and he had particularly paid close attention to Coulson when he had been operating this car. That debacle with Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia in the second year didn't count – especially since Ron had been the one flying it.

With one foot on the clutch, Harry switched from brakes to gas – the car jolted and died. He didn't look at Tony, shoved his disappointment down, and promptly tried again. With a better sense of the pedals, he pressed on the gas again and the car pushed forward steadily. A beaming smile spread across his face as he realized that he was _stealing_ Coulson's car.

Around the empty concrete, he shifted up and down to practice, quickly finding the sweet spots before Tony broke his uncharacteristic silence and announced, "Huh, you're a natural. Why were you shrieking your head off when I was driving?"

"I wasn't shrieking! I was giving you a warning. There's a difference when you're the one driving. At that time, I thought I was either going to die or break the Statute of Secrecy Apparating us to safety," Harry testily admitted. He didn't mention that it would have probably killed Tony if he had Apparated from a moving vehicle. Shaking his head from the thought, he pressed on the gas to quickly reach the metal gates – the speed returning him back to his good mood. Harry smoothly decelerated before turning out of the air strip onto a road. He had to keep reminding himself to stay on the right side unlike the UK's left side.

Harry was driving without a license! The thought only added to the excitement and he knew he was grinning like a fool.

"I guess that makes me your navigator," Tony commented. "Turn left here."

When the thrill had cooled a little, Harry asked, "Why wouldn't your police be investigating this?"

"I can't – I don't want to bring them in. They'd start taking things in the name of collecting evidence. I also want to nip this in the bud and claim it as a technical failure."

"Isn't SHIELD looking into this too?"

"Yeah, it looks like the FBI on paper … but right now they're focused on anything and everything on the jet. This is a long shot, but if we're right, we're one step ahead of SHIELD."

They continued through the busy sunlit streets of LA. The traffic was slow and did not match the pace of the music Tony picked, which Harry found noisy and scratchy. When Harry was approaching a fast-food restaurant, Tony's eyes zoomed in and tracked the large caricature of a king. Tony asked, "Hey, you want a cheeseburger?"

"I'm hungry, but I'm not _that_ hungry."

Shocked, Tony asked, "What's wrong with a classic American cheeseburger? I haven't had _this_ one in months, now that I think about it."

"I don't know … something about the cheap cheese?"

Tony was aghast as if he couldn't believe what Harry had just said.

"Besides, I'm not carrying any money –"

Tony took out his wallet in response.

"No," Harry refused as he sped up to pass the restaurant faster when the traffic eased a little. "No side trips! You're talking to this guy and that's it."

"Fine, but the next road trip we're definitely getting one. With better cheese if you're so picky."

Tony's air strip wasn't that far from Guy Fleegman's house, squished in between other houses, each sitting on top of their own very small lot of grass. Tony directed Harry to park at another street under the shade of a short palm tree. Harry had to go around the car and pretend to get something from the passenger seat. It was actually to open the passenger door for Tony.

"How chivalrous," Tony sarcastically complimented.

"Shut up."

Walking quickly and under the shade if available, they both reached the front door of Fleegman's house. Luckily no pedestrians had been around. Harry casted _Homenum Revelio_ and found the house empty. "No one's here. At least no one human."

"He's definitely human … and his car's here, but he's gone? He might have left with someone. Maybe we can find something inside while he's away?" Tony suggested before checking behind him to see if anyone's looking. The tall bushes planted on the side provided slight cover over the door.

Harry didn't feel comfortable sneaking around in daylight and the memory of meeting Agent Romanova the first time was still fresh on his mind. Harry sighed, "Alright."

He waited for a click from the door after an _Alohomora_ , but nothing sounded. "The door's already unlocked," Harry commented with some suspicion.

"How do you know?" Tony asked, in the middle of pulling out what Harry thought looked like some small tools. Tony stuffed them back inside his pocket while Harry briefly looked at the door knob, the floor, and then around the doorway.

"I tried to err … remotely unlock it." A second look at the door was fruitful. It was so easy to miss because of the dark brown color of the door, but on the bottom corner was an indistinct splatter and streak of –

"Is that dried blood?" Tony asked, looking over Harry's shoulder.

"I hope not," Harry wished out loud. A woman with a terrier jogged by and to stave off suspicion, Harry smiled back. "Come on, let's get inside before someone wonders why I'm just standing here."

Harry watched as a nebulous outline of Tony's hand reached inside his own pocket to get a napkin and opened the door. Tony closed the door after Harry had walked in. As a precaution, he casted _Muffliato_ in a tight circle around them.

Inside, the house appeared bigger than from the outside. Sparsely furnished, just enough to fit a bachelor's lifestyle, the house gave a feeling that it had more space than it really had. On the immediate right was a small room probably meant to be a little, cozy salon, but converted into a workroom with its messy desk and a couple of bookshelves.

Nearly all the lights in the house were turned on; it was strange and unnecessary since the house was lit very well by the sunlight filtering through the thin white curtains.

Tony went straight to the work room to snoop around. Harry decided to go straight inside through a hallway. He passed by a living room with only a low coffee table, a lazyboy, a sofa, and a flat screen on the wall. He didn't pay much attention to it and went farther back towards the kitchen. When nothing looked suspicious, he doubled back to the front of the house to check up on Tony.

"Anything?"

"Nothing," Tony reported with disappointment on his face.

"There's upstairs. I think it's on the left side because I haven't seen it yet."

Past the living room and on the other side of the kitchen was a dining room. It only had a small round table and four chairs. A dvd player and a computer screen set up in the corner on standby. On top of the white tablecloth was a half-eaten plate of food, having been abandoned for a while.

Both Harry and Tony decided to keep their thoughts to themselves until they saw more of the house.

They had only taken a few steps back out into the hallway when Tony cleared his throat to get Harry's attention. Harry turned around thinking Tony had found something important.

"Don't think I'm doing this because Bruce told me to do it, but … uhh …" Tony seemed to fidget for a little bit before saying, " … I placed a GPS tracker on your glasses."

"Excuse me?" Harry had heard it alright, but he wanted Tony to repeat it just to be certain.

"Well, it's not like it made much of a difference. I can't track you anymore anyway."

"Another surprise?" Harry pulled his glasses off and cast _Immobilus_ on it to make sure he couldn't be tracked at all. "Why _now_ to tell me this?"

"I mean, you were popping around all over the place and you were practically a stranger," Tony tried to excuse his actions. "You also were new to this universe."

Harry scowled in response. He could almost understand Tony's reasons if the tracking didn't anger him so much. "Did Bruce promise to tell me if you didn't? He did, didn't he? Merlin! Don't do it again or I'll – I don't know – make you vomit slugs."

"You can do that?" Tony asked, stunned. It didn't last long though because the next thing he said was, "Huh, I wonder how that works."

Harry growled in frustration. Tony was not taking the threat as seriously as he had wanted. Forget teaming up with Tony, Harry was going to get them both! "What do you mean you can't track me anymore?" Harry asked.

With a sour face, Tony grumbled, "How do you do it?" Tony gestured to his entire body. "This camouflage thing is already deflecting light and now you're stealth-ed against radio waves, because JARVIS can't track you anymore through your glasses. I wouldn't be surprised if you're also invisible on the other waves on the spectrum. Loki didn't share his cloaking with you did he? It drains him a lot – I figured depending on the energy, on the wavelength – but you don't seem affected at all. It's like you have a constant and passive cloak of invisibility."

"What?" Harry sharply demanded. He had been partly paying attention to Tony until he had heard that last part. His heart had lurched, and for a moment he felt it had stopped, before speeding up. Whispering, Harry requested, "Say that again."

Tony became confused. "You want me to repeat all that? I didn't think you liked my monologue that much, but alright - "

"No! I mean, you said something about a cloak."

"Well yeah … cloaking, stealth technology, LO technology – there're many names - "

Harry started to drown out Tony's babbling as he was reminded of three ancient artifacts. He was only being foolish again right? He wanted it all to be coincidence … but he couldn't ignore what happened earlier this morning and what Tony had just said. Harry shook himself from the thought and realized he had been staring at the dining room, at the small dinner table with its crisply pressed white tablecloth. He was about to turn away when he couldn't help remembering an old superstition. He needed to get himself under control! Everything was starting to remind him of -

Tony stopped talking all of a sudden. Harry held in his breath – he had heard it too. It was a series of tumbling sounds from further inside the house. Tony held a finger to his mouth – a move Harry thought unnecessary; he wasn't an idiot.

They paused when they both heard another sound behind them - the light rumble of a car engine and two car doors opening and closing. Harry was trying to quiet his own breathing, the sound of it too loud to his own ears. Tony quietly pointed to Harry and then in the direction of the bump. A finger went to himself and a tip of the head indicated he was going to peek outside. Harry nodded and quietly crept through the house, past the kitchen and the dining room until his feet padded across wooden flooring and he reached the staircase.

Tony's lead had become a literal dead-end.

He had found Guy Fleegman – sprawled at the bottom of the stairs. Harry started to approach the man to see if he was still alive – though unlikely. He pulled the body on its back to see the face and instantly knew that the man was gone. Dried blood caked on the front of the man's flannel shirt and jeans. Something had slammed into the man's chest and tore his heart out. Harry was glad he had refused Tony's fast-food demand because he felt his stomach shift at what happened to the man's face. It looked like claws had delved and carved rough lines across the man's scalp and cheek, flaps of skin barely clinging on.

It was at this moment, Tony also walked into the scene of horror. "There's a couple of … "

"Tony, I'm sorry," Harry immediately started to say. His eyes traced the old blood that coated generously at the midpoint of the stairs. Newer blood streaks trailed behind the body. "Something attacked him on the stairs, long before we got here. We just heard the body falling down the rest of the way."

Tony ignored him completely and started cursing.

There was a sharp rap at the door – both Tony and Harry froze. "Mr. Fleegman, we got a call about suspicious activity around your house."

"Someone must have seen me," Harry said. "Probably the neighbors."

"We got to go. I can't be seen here," Tony whispered. "They usually can't enter here without a warrant, but it may not matter when they see the blood on the corner of the door. Exigent circumstances."

"Alright, come on," Harry agreed and held out his hand. Without alerting the officers, he Disapparated with Tony back to New Mexico, back to the underground level of the observatory.

It was such a difference from the creeping _dead_ feeling from inside Fleegman's house. Harry had to dodge out of the way when it looked like Bruce was about to barrel his way through. Bruce immediately caught himself and turned around. He did a double-take when he realized Tony was there too, still camouflaged. Harry cancelled the Disillusionment.

"Where have you two been?" Bruce demanded. When he started to massage his ears, Harry remembered to remove the muffling charm.

"Woah, woah, you need to calm down Shrek," Tony answered. "We had a short field trip is all."

"We've been trying to find you."

"We?"

"More me," Bruce admitted before Loki approached them from farther up the hallway. "Why didn't you pick up? And JARVIS wouldn't tell me where you two were."

"I silenced it and I wasn't accepting any calls at the time." Tony sighed while he checked his phone. "I got bad news: the jet disaster just got messier. I'll need SHIELD's involvement now. You called three times?"

"What? No, just twice. Coulson just stopped by to pass a message from Fury. I don't think he knew what it meant."

"What was it?" Harry asked since Tony was busy with his phone and mumbling about emergency numbers.

"Ranger went AWOL," Bruce recited from memory.

Harry understood the words immediately. Of course, Coulson wouldn't know how Tony had accidentally mispronounced the name as Ranger. AWOL meant that she had left wherever she was. Anticipation and worry filled him as he realized that he needed to find her not from a safe stationary location anymore, but when she's on the run.

" _You_ could have come to us," Harry said to Loki. "Why didn't you?"

"I believed you would return soon. Lo and behold … "

Harry wanted to punch the smirk off. He hated the way Loki was so calm and still could tease him. It made him feel like he was unnecessarily fretting.

"Guys, you should hear this," Tony interrupted. "I'll replay it."

From the speaker phone, some shuffling and panting could be heard as if someone was running with the phone, and then a hurried and nervous voice claimed, " _My name's Hermione Granger … and I need your help_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The transfiguration equation is from the movie-verse. Even magic has its own math.  
> Harry's not on Tony's and Jane's level of understanding, but he's definitely above average. I'm generalizing, but public education usually introduces space and the solar system much earlier than mechanical physics.  
> About the radiation from the Tesseract and missile, these were what I considered plotholes. There's also another one where Loki can teleport out of the metal cage on the Helicarrier, which I addressed in the last story.


	17. A Walk in the Park

"My name's Hermione Granger … and I need your help."

Harry waited for more, but nothing else was recorded. That was it.

"I assume the message was not this direct?" Loki inquired.

"What do you mean not so direct?" Harry asked. "She hardly said anything that wasn't known before."

"She said plenty," Tony disagreed. "I had to decrypt it first. It was jumbled and the audio was shuffled before. If it wasn't, then it would be easy to trace her call once she says her name. I can think of several federal departments who love scanning for keywords in phone conversations."

"It's like a Taboo…" Harry realized. When he got the full attention of everyone else, he shook his head in embarrassment. "Oh sorry, nothing."

Tony continued, "She gave me a hint actually… for the decryption." A grumpy look settled on his face when he said hint. He played the hint out loud.

Harry heard a series of sounds: the touch tone dialing of numbers.

"Don't those translate to specific numbers?" Harry guessed as he remembered how when he dialed phone numbers, they sounded different from one another.

"Yeah, it's 22884646BA," Tony admitted with a pout.

Harry stopped to consider that for a moment, staring at the number key pad displayed on Tony's screen. He was reminded of a time when he had attended muggle public schooling. He had overheard some of the other boys secretly trade a code. He remembered it all these years because it was given so conspiratorially. "Isn't that … ?"

"How the hell did she know?" Tony complained loudly to no one.

Know what? Harry wondered. It didn't look like Tony would answer if Harry did ask, too angry and frustrated.

"Can you confirm this is her?" Loki demanded with a large amount of suspicion.

"That's her," Harry instantly answered. "She must have spent a considerable amount of time here; she sounds a little … American – no offense – but yes, that's her voice."

"She also sent this," Tony muttered.

Harry stepped closer to look at the image. Hermione had taken a photo of a brochure, advertising a miniature castle.

"That's from Central Park," Bruce said. "New York."

"Why would she send this? I thought you can trace calls through the mobile?" Harry asked.

"You can get around it, if you understand how the system works. If she's smart, she would at least have bought a prepaid phone then taken the battery out once she's done, if not trashed it entirely," Bruce explained. When Harry sent a questioning stare wondering how Bruce would know this, he sheepishly laughed. "I picked up a few things on my travels."

"New York, it is," Tony said, as he gripped his phone tighter in his hand.

"Well that's convenient," Harry commented, remembering that it was supposed to be their next destination.

"Coming?" Tony asked Bruce, a little too sweetly.

Bruce responded with a crooked grin, "Thanks, but no thanks, unless you don't mind the possibility that I might break New York a third time?"

Harry really wanted to ask how. The video Tony had shown him earlier in the day never showed Bruce in action. It was still a mystery to Harry. He'll find out later, but right now he asked, "You have another jet ready, Tony?"

"Something even better," Tony said as he grinned at Loki. "Stark Tower's in New York – in fact, only a short distance away from Central Park." Tony cheekily added as an afterthought, "Pretty please?"

Loki frowned. "I am _not_ your taxi service."

Despite this, Harry still found himself on top of a balcony, looking out at New York City's sky line. Bruce was no longer standing next to him and gone was the bright overhead lights from the underground hallway; in their place was the glare of the sunlight reflecting off the surfaces of glass, metal, and dark marble. It was Tony's private floor on top of Stark Towers.

"And you still teleported us," Tony remarked with a laugh before he ran off, yelling, "I need to get something. Don't leave without me!"

That left Harry with Loki … and an uncomfortable silence between them. Not wanting to stand so close to Loki, Harry went inside to wait for Tony. He passed by a ring of sofas and almost missed the odd piece of wall art on his right. It was a man-sized hole about half a foot deep – it actually looked like the outline of a man … about six feet tall. If Harry had to guess, it looked like it was excised from the floor, the marble matching the one on the floor.

"He dared … ?" a voice muttered behind him.

Harry whirled around, finding Loki sporting a strange expression that had equal parts disbelief, irritation and amusement. Harry looked between the wall and Loki. _It couldn't be_ …

Harry convinced himself out of the silly idea and walked away into the bar area. He wasn't interested in the drinks, but he did pick up and pocketed a pen that had been left behind. It wasn't long before Harry nervously paced in front of the bar counter, wishing Tony would get whatever he needed _faster_.

"Do not rush, you will stir panic."

Harry knew that. He didn't need a reminder, but he was fighting with himself to not just go ahead and Apparate in broad daylight down to the park. "I didn't think you cared," Harry retorted.

Loki's response was cold. "For them? I do not, but you do. Trouble here may pose complications later."

It was a not-so-subtle warning to Harry that his actions had consequences.

"Ah, there you are," Loki declared softly and suddenly, gazing through the window.

"Who?"

Still staring into some point in the city, Loki answered, "Someone who likes to roost. Fury may not involve the entirety of SHIELD, but he has left _one_. When you meet this man, befriend him."

That was an odd thing to say. The word _when_ was used so Harry didn't bother asking _who_ again. "Why?"

"It will not be difficult for someone such as yourself."

That didn't answer the question. "Again, why?"

"Where he goes, the _lady_ will follow. She outplayed me by offering the truth to me, her truth." Loki finally turned away from the city view and as if he was confiding in a secret, grinned and whispered, "The world for one man."

"So this is to get back at this woman?"

"Does it surprise you?"

No, Harry realized, it didn't. "I'm going to pass."

"You are always _free_ to refuse my advice," Loki mocked. "You may not be able to reconsider at a later time … when she has you within the scope of her sniper rifle."

"What?" Harry automatically crouched low as he searched the other skyscrapers.

"She is not here," Loki assured, entertained by Harry's reaction. "The time will come when she must choose. I hope for your sake she sides with you; it is always recommended to have an assassin watch your back rather than stab it from behind."

Harry thought Loki was speaking from experience – from the point of view of the assassin. "Do I know her?"

Loki scoffed. "Know her? No. Met her? Probable."

Harry wanted to ask for more details when Tony emerged from the side room wearing a dark blue windbreaker, sunglasses, and a pair of black gloves. Tony zipped up his jacket to cover the glow from his reactor and casually set the shades more firmly on his face. "Testing a prototype … Google eat your heart out."

When Harry only stared funnily at the sunglasses, Tony explained, "Special glasses. Something to help me see and examine stuff, since I'm not taking any of my suits. It's a trial run for some other things too." He pulled out a baseball cap from his jacket pocket and placed it on his head. "Enjoying the view?"

"It's very impressive," Harry said before looking at the city right below. "So this is your tower? Quite a height."

Loki covered his smile with a hand.

Tony saw it anyway and challenged, "Hey Loki, if you're feeling nostalgic, I don't mind a Round 2. You know how many iterations I went through? 40! I can take anything you throw at me."

"Your tower will not survive," Loki smoothly promised.

Tony faltered there a little, but then recovered his bravado. "That's ok, Pepper's been wanting a tower of her own," Tony easily dismissed the threat, as he looked up into the ceiling and then down onto the floor, all the while flicking his fingers to manipulate the virtual interface visible only from his sunglasses.

"Is this the real reason why you left Bruce behind?" Harry asked flatly. "No babysitter? Anyway, can we hurry this up?"

Both of them looked at Harry, as if he had ruined their fun. Harry glared back, feeling strangely guilty about it.

"Alright … _now_ I'm ready to go," Tony declared after tugging his gloves tighter around his fingers. Harry heard an electronic whine coming from them. He had heard that sound before.

"Good, now sit," Loki ordered, taking the lead as he sat down first. When Harry hesitated at the command, Loki accused, "You are wasting time. Sit. The transport will be smoother if you do so."

Harry didn't sit down until Tony did, even then he didn't quite trust what was going on. In the blink of an eye, he was teleported again, this time finding himself seated in the back of a limousine. He was pushed into the leather seat as the car moved forward.

Tony sat to his right and to his left, Loki – wasn't there, but a black-haired woman was. Dressed in a slim pin-stripe suit and bold red lipstick painted on her lips, she looked both professional and intimidating as she opened a side compartment to pull out her portfolio. This woman knew she was attractive – and she used it to her advantage. Harry would call her beautiful if contempt wasn't so openly written on her face.

"We will arrive shortly," the woman announced, her blue eyes busy reading the papers she had slipped out from her portfolio. They were taken out too quickly for Harry to understand them, but he did catch the word _extremis_.

Harry didn't know what was going on. He turned to Tony for answers, who had leaned back to enjoy the limo's luxury.

"You've acclimated pretty well as AIM's Chairwoman," Tony playfully commented as he inspected the interior. "Finally found your inner diva?"

Pretending to be surprised, the woman chuckled before a sly smile appeared on her face.

Harry was slack-jawed. _That's_ his _smirk!_

The woman waved a perfectly manicured hand and a red rose boutonniere appeared on Tony's jacket. "Flowers. Now, you're only missing the parade," the woman teased.

 _Bloody Hell, this is Loki?_ Harry looked at the two of them, feeling oddly out of place. "If I didn't know better …" Harry interrupted the bizarre scene.

"How remiss of me," _she_ apologized. "I'm Monica. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Another small cluster of flowers appeared; this time fragile stalks of white Lily of the Valley blooms pinned on Harry's shirt. Harry couldn't take it anymore and simply cancelled all of the illusions. It was just too disturbing. He was relieved when the petite frame and cosmetic-covered face was brushed away, revealing an amused Loki back in his black suit.

Loki wasn't bothered by Harry's abrupt dispel and returned to perusing the documents in his hands. "I have a conference with Virginia about a joint venture," Loki replied and to Tony, he added, "One I believe _you_ are to attend as well."

"I'm sure you two can handle it," Tony easily answered. "In fact, I'm sure Pepper can handle it by herself. I reviewed the drafts and they look great."

Harry was confused. "I thought AIM was an enemy …" Harry thought for a moment before he realized, "The grapevine."

"Yes. Why waste the resources of a terrorist organization based in a globally recognized technology corporation? AIM is already entrenched in illegal arms dealing and the criminal underground. I have simply impersonated their Chair; after all, I do play the villain very well."

Harry didn't doubt it. He looked to his side, at Tony who was sitting silently and looking away. It seemed something about this arrangement was a point of disagreement between the two.

"You're not coming with us then?" Harry asked. It was more a statement than a question.

Loki nodded. "This is an internal affair. To maintain my Diplomatic Immunity, I may not directly intrude upon the Menn's sovereignty over Midgard and over themselves …" Loki smirked. "…again."

"You were pretty direct with AIM," Tony pointed out, trying to get back to his normal smart-ass attitude.

"They interfered – thus provoking retaliation. SHIELD's blessings and cooperation in the siege were superfluous," Loki loftily explained.

Tony snickered, because he knew that it had not been _superfluous_.

Possessing a better understanding of the politics Loki operated under, Harry said after a moment's hesitation, "You should know that what killed Guy Fleegman, the crewman suspected of exploding the jet, wasn't human. I've seen attacks like that before and no normal person could punch through a ribcage like that. The scratch marks also indicate a strong set of claws."

Loki paused to take in what Harry had given. "I will investigate."

"You can get the address from JARVIS. There's probably police swarming over that house now," Tony warned.

"You insult me with your doubt," Loki replied with false disdain, and then pressed a button on the armrest. In the woman's voice, he ordered, "Stop here."

The limo coasted to a stop and waited. Harry looked through the tinted windows and wondered why no one stared at the standing limo. In fact, all the people on the sidewalk seemed to go around the area right in front of the door. He looked back to Loki … of course.

"My illusions will conceal you until you enter the park."

That confirmed it.

Tony opened the door, but before stepping out, asked an unusual question to Loki. "Hey, what do you think of Rescue?"

The answer was immediate. "Appropriate."

Tony gave a subdued smile and said as a parting, "Thanks for the ride."

Harry pushed the question on his tongue for another time. He was about to follow Tony when a beeping noise sounded from inside Loki's jacket pocket. After indicating with a hand for Harry to wait, Loki pulled the phone out and glanced at the screen, before saying in a deceptively mild voice, "Granger's living status is now known to the underground."

Harry nodded at the hint to prepare himself, got out, and closed the door. They had been dropped off at one of the entrances to Central Park. He didn't watch the limo drive off. Dismayed at the volume of people, he entered the park with Tony as calmly as he could.

"You know, everything seems to come back to New York. What about this place that screams disaster magnet?" Tony asked while he tugged the baseball cap lower over his face.

"It's your Rome." Harry looked around at the busy popcorn and balloon vendors lining the cement walkways. The park was green and alive, full of flowers, men, women, and children.

"I suppose, but there are other valuable cities -"

Harry thought it was a rather mature thing for Tony to say.

" – why not a city that doesn't have my tower?"

Harry took the compliment back.

"Hey, I know that look! No take backs."

Harry ignored Tony's complaining and took out the short pen from his pocket, holding it in his hand, while the other hand tried to cover it from curious eyes. The tip hovered and pointed in the direction of a miniature castle in the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief when the pen didn't move; it was a good sign, indicating that she had felt safe enough to stay there. This might not be as bad as he had thought.

"That's Belvedere Castle," Tony informed him. "Small nature exhibit, tourist attraction, information center."

They were going at a brisk pace and almost reached the castle when Harry noticed something odd, well something odd about the man he had just passed. He didn't know what it was that first drew his attention from the numerous men and women walking around to this particular man, but the more he had watched the man's back, the more he had felt that the man didn't quite fit here. Maybe it was the way the man kept stopping or the way he stiffly carried himself, whatever it was it made Harry glance at the man's face – and more importantly what was in his hands when Harry had gone around him.

"This one's looking for her," Harry whispered as he led Tony to the side. Out of the sunshine, Harry pointed discretely when the man passed them by. "I saw him taking out a photo of her, scanning through the crowd for her face. You know him?" Harry wanted to know if this was the man under orders from Fury.

"Nope, let's take him out," Tony suggested, as he wiggled his fingers around, the motion giving off clicking sounds.

"What do you have underneath?" Harry had to ask, looking at Tony's gloves and dreading the answer. He didn't expect the answer he got.

"You know, that's the kind of question I would ask Pepper. Sorry, I'm taken." Tony laughed when Harry gritted his teeth, embarrassed and cross. "Seriously though, a light frame of my suit."

"Your suit?! Around these people?" Harry fiercely whispered, instantly forgetting Tony's teasing.

"Relax, it's just the skeletal frame: repulsors and a little prosthetic strength."

"Repulsors? That thing that shoots – are you mad?"

"I'm not going to fire them," Tony assured – a little insulted that Harry would think him that careless.

Harry sighed in relief and then watched the man again. "I don't think taking him out is such a good idea. I doubt he's working alone."

"You're right, but I want to know who we're dealing with."

"Too risky. If anything happens to him, it may alert the others –"

"I think he's going inside," Tony interrupted.

Harry watched nervously as the man slowly made his way to the castle. How to dispose of him temporarily without drawing the attention of his accomplices?

"I have an idea," Harry said as he removed his glamour. As it was a hot day and to get a more casual look, he unbuttoned his dress shirt, exposing a white t-shirt underneath, and then rolling the sleeves up. "Meet me inside."

Harry picked up a discarded soft drink can, rudely left behind a bench as trash. The can in his hand, he charmed it to refill with soda. When he felt the swish and slosh of liquid, he held the can close to his mouth, pretending to sip from it. His eyes quickly finding the man feigning to be a common visitor, looking over a map of the park making his way to the castle.

As leisurely and naturally as possible, Harry walked behind the man and then purposely bumped into his back, spilling the brown cola generously over the man's white polo shirt. It was a very obvious mark.

"I-I'm so sorry. I'm incredibly embarrassed – I wasn't paying attention," Harry played the nervous teenager in trouble, trying to suppress his British accent. It wasn't that hard; his nervousness was exaggerated but genuine. He looked around pretending to search for something, finally settling on the castle. "There're paper towels in there, I'm sure. It's the least I can do, come on," Harry badgered.

"It's fine. I can take care of this," was the gruff reply.

They were starting to draw attention from the people around. Harry followed the man inside with an upset and sorry expression, busy distracting the man from doing anything else except to respond to Harry. "Here – here's the bathroom," Harry called out, remembering to use the word _bathroom_.

Inside the public restroom, the man sneered, grabbed several paper towels and roughly dismissed Harry, "I said I'm fine. Now _get_."

Harry made a show of fleeing the restroom, apologizing one last time. He emerged from the restroom as soon as Tony made his way inside the castle. They both walked to the side of the lobby, away from all the foot traffic near the front doors.

"Huh, that teenager persona really is useful," Tony whispered.

Harry smiled and pulled out the pen again. His eyes looked in the direction of where the pen was pointing. Searching through all the faces, he finally found one he recognized: Hermione, coming down the steps from the second floor, her face earnest and creased in worry. Wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jeans and her hair cropped short into a pixie haircut, she could pass as a boy from the back and was almost indistinguishable from the people around her. In fact, the t-shirt matched the ones worn by many of the visitors who had gathered in the park for their charity organization. Harry was about to point out Hermione to Tony when -

"There she is!" was shouted and Harry was shoved to the side. He crashed into several people who had been standing close to him.

Amidst the cursing and angry shouts, Harry quickly jumped back on his feet, already knowing that things had just become more complicated. Bursting through the doors, Harry could see Hermione running through the crowd outside. He also saw a couple of men rushing and knocking people down in their haste to capture her. With Tony following closely behind, Harry rooted for her as she slowly gained more distance due to her small stature. She could squeeze between people easier.

"That's just great," Tony said sarcastically to himself before confirming, "Harry, they're all armed."

Harry turned around, about to ask how he could tell, when Tony tapped his sunglasses. Harry would have to ask more about it later, but right now he needed to focus.

Harry pressed his lips together as he remembered the last time he had faced a gun. He wasn't fast enough to beat a bullet once it was fired. He pushed himself to run quicker, going around people and apologizing when he bumped into them. Harry grimaced as he realized that all of these people were in danger.

Tony realized it too. On top of that, Tony was actually slowing Harry down. He couldn't go in between people as easily, wasn't as quick on his feet as Harry was. Tony stopped.

Harry turned around, surprised and confused. "Why'd you – what're you doing? We need to get her!"

"You go on. Get as far away from me, as much as possible," Tony warned while he turned away from Harry.

"What – I don't understand."

Tony started taking his hat off and looked at all the people obliviously enjoying their day at the park. Harry understood immediately and started to run away. He pushed his legs, making a bee-line through the summer grass.

The incoming electronic shriek alerted Harry to the arrival of Tony's suit. It circled around the park to gain the most attention before it darted and swooped in on Tony's location. Harry heard distant shouts and screams of surprise behind him as people realized that Iron Man was in Central Park. Tony was using himself, his fame as a magnet to pull in people, to help empty out the park a little. It would also draw attention away from Harry if he used his magic.

Harry didn't look back as he took full advantage of the thinning crowd. Tony really did have a significant following in his fan club. Harry mentally thanked Tony as more and more people started migrating out of the area.

He saw Hermione run into the woods. It was more than a couple of people after her now; some of the people ahead of him started to go in the same direction – ones he had been certain were just enjoying a picnic. Spaced very far apart they made a loose fence to prevent Hermione from backtracking … or anyone from going through.

Harry crept behind a statue, a tribute to two of Shakespeare's most famous tragic lovers, guarding the entrance to an outdoor theatre. He crouched lower when one of the men turned in his direction. Harry took a few calming breaths before he concentrated on Disillusioning himself.

He threw out _Homenum Revelio_ in a wide arc, revealing the same man approaching Harry's location, having heard the soft pat, pat of Harry's footsteps on the deserted walkway. The others had walked away, hidden out of line of sight. With his back against the granite platform of the bronze sculpture, Harry wrapped _Muffliato_ around himself and then quickly conjured a canary in his hand, his fingers holding it tight, trying to quiet its chirping, before he released it above him. The bird flew to the man and twittered around his head, distracting him. Leaning away from the statue's base for one brief moment, Harry fired a _Stupefy_ , watched its red spark land before he slowly moved forward at the sound of the body crumpling onto the ground.

He wasn't the only one who heard the body falling. Someone new had just stepped into the range of the _Homenum Revelio_ and was coming to investigate the sound. He needed to hide again! His eyes traveled up the theatre wall and was reminded of how rarely people looked up – him included until recently. Dragging the body was impossible so he Side-Along Apparated with it up on top of the theatre wall. Harry placed a Sticking Charm on the body to keep it from falling. It was just in time because in the next moment a woman emerged from somewhere behind the theatre. In a tight shirt and shorts, she would have passed for an ordinary young woman out for a jog, if not for the pistol in her hands. From above, Harry watched her check the spot where he had just been. Finding nothing, she started to approach the metal sculpture.

Holding his breath, Harry waited for her to turn her back. His opportunity didn't come exactly how he expected it, the woman had her back to him but had the statue in between. Harry looked down at the statue of the fictional couple in a kissing embrace. He could work with this. With a snap of his wrist, Harry threw a spell at the sculpture.

_Piertotum Locomotor!_

The two bronze and granite figures immediately popped and creaked into motion. At the sound of movement from the statue, the woman stood aghast as two life-sized sculptures of Romeo and Juliet dropped their embrace to capture her, their arms grabbing at her clothes, their fingers clawing at her hair. Apparating back down, Harry hit her with a _Stupefy_ before she screamed for help. The sculptures finally released her when she lied still, her body sliding down to land heavily at the base of the statue.

Harry almost felt sorry for her; he hadn't meant to make it so horrific. He looked up at the couple, their faces relaxed and their arms returning to the loose embrace as the spell ended. Who would have thought these two could be so nasty?

Harry quickly searched through first the man's, and then the woman's clothes for weapons, finding a couple of guns, knives, and canisters of what he thought could be tear gas. He hoped Tony wouldn't mind, but he sent both bodies to the tower via Portkey. He picked up the last gun he found and before tossing it in with the rest of the weapons, he studied it for a moment. It was surprisingly light, was his initial thought before a sensation of _wrongness_ enveloped him. A cold feeling rippled through him, jerking his hand and dropping the gun.

He had been holding a weapon, he realized … and he feared the possible outcome if he were ever to be _disarmed._ With a swell of apprehension, he vanished them all before going deeper into the woods.

Half-distracted by his suspicions, he trekked through the park, off trail, time feeling painfully stretched slow, before he heard –

 _Bam_ _bam_.

A couple of gunshots forced him – and time – into motion. He immediately jumped and slid behind a tree. Seeing nothing, he ran forward going from cover to cover, drawing closer. More gunshots were heard, his heart beating faster with every _pop_ - _pop_ - _pop_. The gunfire wasn't as loud as he had expected, probably fired through a silencer. In the distance, he could see several people, about a dozen, engaging and firing at each other. He didn't care whose side they were on; all of them – including him – had the same goal.

 _Where is she?!_ His sharp eyes catching the glint of her brown hair as if it was the gold of a snitch. _There!_

She was busy running away from the fight, with two men almost upon her.

Thinking quickly, Harry formed a ball of light in his hand and flung it into the air, right above all the gunfire, growing larger the higher it flew. _Lumos Maxima_ stuck in the air, flaring, blinding everyone. Harry Apparated behind her two pursuers, who had turned around to see the bright light. It was easy to deliver _Stupefy_ twice with the both of them blinded. With the light behind him, he rushed to Hermione who also had her eyes covered.

Hermione yelped as Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a boulder, in case more bullets came their way. He cast _Silencio_ to prevent her from screaming out when she opened her mouth. When she realized that she had been silenced, she started to struggle, kicking him in the shin and twisting her arm out from his grip. She finally freed herself and began to run from him.

"Hermione, stop!" Harry whispered as loudly as he dared. He hoped calling her name would do something. His eyes watered from the mean shin kick – it was one thing his Hermione had that he wished this one hadn't. When he realized that he still had the muffling charm up, he removed it after mentally kicking himself for the mistake. "Hermione, I'm trying to help."

She didn't listen as she gained more distance from him. The pain momentarily slowing him down before he completely ignored the feeling and sprinted after her. Trees blurred by and the wind whistled in his ears as his body remembered how it felt to _race_. She was fast, but he was faster.

When he could almost reach out to her, she suddenly slid to a halt.

The next moment, the sound of something impacting and crushing wood rang around the two. Chips of wood sprayed across from them - Harry didn't stop but pushed Hermione down with him, jostling his glasses, and scraping his knees. He moved over her and spread a shield to cover them both.

Bullets shot by, hitting both his shield and the trees. Pieces of bark and broken branches fell on his _Protego_ charm like a hailstorm. He was about to Apparate with Hermione when she rolled away and started running away from him _again_ – bullets barely missing her.

He could only stare at the absurdity.

"Hermione!" Harry hissed out, and then growled in frustration when she didn't stop. He couldn't follow her with all the gunfire around; he needed to take care of it first.

Staying as low to the ground as he could, he fired an array of _Oppugno_ jinxes at everything: small twigs, the leaves, and bark lying around him. Like how he had done to Yaxley with the Undesirable No. 1 leaflets, they came to life; the leaves and bits of wood swirling, swarming around him once, twice before attacking the gunmen like angry bees. He ran after her but glanced back to make sure no one was following him. He smirked at the scene of four men being assaulted by a whirlwind of leaves, effectively blocking their eyes and aim.

Harry turned around in time to see Hermione make a mistake. He finally got a break when she tripped in her haste to get away from him. He hoped she wasn't hurt but he was thankful for her blunder. He tried not to laugh at the embarrassed look on her red face.

"Come on," Harry whispered as he removed the _Silencio_ from her.

"I'm not going with you –"

"You rather go with them?" Harry asked as he pulled Hermione back up on her feet and tugged her with him.

"- I need to get something," she blurted. Well at least she trusted him enough not to try to lose him.

"Can it wait?" Harry wanted to Apparate right _now_.

"No, it's important," she insisted before running off again.

Harry had no choice but to follow her. In his wake, he brought the short bushes and small trees he touched to life with the same jinx as he had with the leaves. The men would have to go through a series of miniature Whomping Willow-like trees to follow them directly. The plants weren't meant to last so they couldn't rely on its protection for long.

"There's more to our right," Hermione warned. "Three more."

Harry didn't ask how she knew, but pulled her along to the left. "How far are they?"

"About twenty yards away. They know we're here and they're coming fast – duck!"

Harry automatically ducked – a few bullets zipped above him, striking the trees in front of them. With Hermione next to him, he crouched behind the trunk of a large oak tree and tried to sneak a look at their attackers.

He was yanked back by the collar of his shirt.

He didn't have to ask why she did it when in the next moment, a bullet grazed the side of the trunk he was hiding behind. Alright, that was a bad idea. He looked up again at the dense foliage above, blocking the sun.

"Stay here," Harry told her and when he recognized the beginnings of her temper he added, "Please." He didn't wait for her answer before he Apparated high up onto a heavy branch. His foot almost slipped on the tree limb, but he clung onto the trunk tightly to regain his balance. From here, he could safely watch the incoming gunmen. Just as she said, there were three of them running with weapons drawn and pointed at where Hermione was hiding below.

If they wanted to go against him then he'd welcome it! With his back to the trunk and grim determination settling over him, Harry held his hands out like he was holding a large bowl. He firmly shut his eyes closed to concentrate, conjuring flocks and flocks of yellow canaries, smoke emerged with every flurry of conjured birds. There were so many of them, flapping their wings and blowing his hair around. He threw in some red ones just for the hell of it. The cloud of smoke dispersed as they burst out from him, high up through the canopy and into the sky in a wave of feathers, chirrups, and hundreds of wings, to splash down and peck at the three men like an angry hive.

Harry cautiously peeked again but then crouched back down when the men started firing haphazardly at the birds. About a dozen of the birds broke off from the group to dive-bomb into their faces. Satisfied with his work, he appeared right next to Hermione to get her away while the birds provided the distraction.

"Let's go."

She gasped in surprise but quickly recovered. It looked like she wanted to ask about the canaries, but decided not to and went ahead. Harry grinned behind her back. The irony wasn't lost on him – _Oppugno avis_ was Hermione's spell.

Harry hadn't gone five paces, when a horrible scream echoed across. Harry looked back to see one of the men drop his gun … an arrow protruding from his wrist. Harry searched around the trees to find the newcomer. A pull on his arm brought his attention back to Hermione.

"He's helping me," Hermione assured him before running off.

Harry stood to watch one more arrow fly straight down and strike the gun arm of another man before he followed after Hermione, deciding the archer must either be very far up or firing up into the sky to let the arrows fall into an arch. It was the only way to get around all the trees.

Swinging over a mound of earth and roots, Harry jumped onto a beaten trail and couldn't stop himself in time. He collided into someone who had been walking around the bend of the trail, both of them crashing on the ground. Harry rolled away and was about to cast _Incarcerous_ before he heard Hermione yell out, "Leave him!"

A quick survey of the white bearded man showed that he was only a simple hiker, still stunned and disoriented. Harry groaned in shame; he had tackled an old man! Quickly before the man got his bearings, Harry spent precious time casting a muggle repelling charm around the area. The hiker immediately forgot about Harry and hurried off. Harry hoped it would repel other muggles who walked by this area.

Harry chased after Hermione again, who was already far up ahead and obscured from sight. Harry patted his pocket for the pen – it wasn't there; he must have dropped it. With a quick hand, he snapped a branch off of a tree on his way past. Casting the Point Me spell while on the run, he pin-pointed her location. He burst through the trees onto an open, thankfully empty, road and straight across to a grassy field, revealing Hermione cutting her way across. Harry didn't like it; it exposed them too much. Harry ran past a couple of women obliviously sunbathing on towels with ear plugs before he caught up with Hermione. He pulled her to the side of the woods, to an area with more cover.

"No, not there," Hermione refused, slipping her hand out from his. "This way."

She was leading him to a more populated area, to another visitor's information center. They walked instead of running to try to blend in better. _Trying_. What a sight they were: dirt on their clothes, grass stains on their knees, and scrapes on their hands. He kept his head down trying not to draw any more attention to how disheveled they looked.

When he overheard some people talking about Iron Man, he smiled. It seemed Tony's presence was starting to circulate farther into the park, convincing people to head over in his direction. Harry's amusement was curbed when he passed by several families with strollers, who didn't look like they were interested in leaving the area. He didn't know what he would do if there was a shootout here, among these people, busy happily snapping pictures.

"What's wrong with that way?" Harry asked, becoming increasingly nervous.

"They were positioning themselves there, expecting us," she replied, putting on a white baseball cap.

"And they're not here?" Harry asked, simultaneously wondering how she had hidden that hat. She didn't have pockets big enough.

"Do you see that ambulance over there?" Hermione tilted her head to her left, her eyes still looking forward.

"Yes," Harry replied, turning his head, seeing a standing white ambulance waiting on the side of the road.

"Don't stare, but that's them too."

Harry immediately looked away. That was a deviously smart thing to have; no one would question and stop a pair of paramedics if they were to sedate and carry her off. "Who are they? Who's after you?"

"Everyone," Hermione answered. A subtle movement of her arm behind a baby stroller – and she had a pair of sunglasses in her hands. She placed the shades over her eyes.

Harry realized that she had been stealing all along. Little things to keep herself hidden.

Both of them joined the back of a tour group that was entering the information center. Belatedly, Harry thought they should have picked a different group to blend in with – the group was made entirely of elderly Chinese. Hermione didn't seem to share his thoughts; she walked around as if she knew no one would pay attention to them. Sure there were a couple of girls who had giggled at their dirty clothes, but no sign that their pursuers had found them yet.

Inside, they pretended to browse through brochures before breaking away from the group and sneaking into an empty room.

"We should be safe here … for now," Hermione said after a tired sigh. Before Harry could ask about what she needed here, she requested, "Turn around."

"Why?"

"We were running around and with you pushing and pulling me all over the place, _something_ got loose," Hermione explained with some anger and embarrassment.

Harry promptly turned away from her, a little flustered at what she had implied. Why did she think it was his fault? Busying himself while Hermione adjusted her clothing, Harry placed a _Colloportus_ on the door. He wondered briefly if there were cameras in this room. He didn't have much time to ponder when he felt something firmly nudge him in the back. _Dear Merlin…_

"Don't move," Hermione threatened.

Harry couldn't believe it; it had all been a ruse, a clever one that took advantage of his more courteous side. He kept as still as possible.

"Who sent you?" she demanded.

"I wasn't sent by anyone –" Harry started to say, before he stopped when Hermione poked him with the pistol again.

"Who sent you?" Hermione repeated her question. "Don't think I won't shoot you because there are people here."

At the reminder of people around, Harry carefully casted another muggle repelling charm around him. It was a little slow since he was simultaneously trying to follow the conversation so she wouldn't suspect he was doing something. "I'm telling the truth. You're the one who called."

"I called you? I don't know who you are," she angrily argued back.

Harry expanded the area of effect of the charm away from him while at the same time explaining, "You called Tony Stark –"

"He's here?"

"Yes, on the other side of the park." He pushed the charm farther behind him, so it would also reach Hermione. When she didn't answer right away, Harry thought that the charm had worked.

He waited for another second before slowly turning his head to face her. She had her eyes closed, as in deep concentration. Harry looked at what she had in her hand. He chuckled at the thick white board marker. Hermione, clever as always.

She opened her eyes, gasped and stepped back in surprise when she found Harry had ignored her threat and had turned around. In a low and uncertain voice, she said, "You're right, he's here … and he trusts you."

By now, it didn't surprise him that she wasn't a muggle; this just confirmed it. Already guessing what she could do, Harry finally asked the question he hoped she would answer openly. "How do you know that?"

"I know a lot of things … which is why I don't understand how I don't know about you, _Harry_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A puzzle using DTMF (Dual Tone Multiple Frequencies)!  
> Every part of the Lily of the Valley plant is poisonous, despite its reputation as a flower of good virtues.  
> Unhindered, bullets travel faster than the speed of sound; you're already shot by the time you hear it. Harry has to anticipate the move, not react to the gunshot. Here though, I've made their attackers use subsonic bullets, instead of supersonic. Harry's initial impression when he was holding the gun is actually from my personal experience when I first learned how to load and shoot one. In case you're wondering, I'm preparing – on the absurd possibility of a zombie apocalypse. XD


	18. Friendly Fire

In a manner unfit for the Queen of Asgard, Frigga yawned widely into her voluminous sleeve. She didn't care, no one was around to witness it. It was night-time and only the glow torch kept her company while she finalized the return missive to Vanaheimr so it would be ready to send via royal messenger by first light tomorrow. She had been given the dubious honor of contacting the Vanir when her husband and king had convinced her – with more than a little flattery – that her dignified and stately words would be more fitting than his. He just didn't want to say that any words traded with the Vanir tended to get poetic – certainly not a skill he had practiced, not since his younger days when he had courted her. It had been hilarious to her, but painfully embarrassing for him.

The Vanir weren't the only ones she had to deal with. She had been sending out messages to all the major realms, informing them of the impending war and the elevated status of Midgard. It had been about half a year ago when she had last stepped foot on Midgard, when she helped bring in the Menn as an equal member into the galactic alliance. The other races, on the other hand, viewed Earth as a backwater realm, it's only worth was its strategic location.

She had beaten down no less than three challenges to the alliance's newest member, but she didn't know how long she'd be able to do it. Not even Odin could stop the unanimous repeal if one was called. Sooner or later, the Menn would be forced to prove their worth or lose their place.

Frigga stared at the glowing texts, suspended and spread out in front of her like an audience across a stadium, before sweeping her hand to dismiss some of them back onto the shelves. She sighed and closed her eyes to help relax herself, but instead of seeing darkness she saw a wispy stretch of green meandering a distance away from her, on the other side of the palace grounds.

She smiled, pleased with the distraction. It meant one of her sons had returned.

Pulling a shawl around her, she padded across her personal study, through carved stone hallways, arching golden doorways and bowing guards before she found herself in front of the gated entrance to her private garden.

Her smile faltered, but then she held it firmly on her face. No, she realized, he would see through a strained smile, so she let it drop. The gates lazily swung open for her and the sight of thousands of luminescent blooms and mushrooms greeted her. It looked like a Festival of Lights. The green trail guided her slipper-covered feet through the winding pathways, to the far back of the garden.

In a hidden corner, in a clearing surrounded by vine covered willows, she found a figure with his back turned and hands clasped behind him, looking up at the lone fruit tree at the center. Still dressed in a Midgardian suit, her son was trying to convey that this visit would be very brief.

"Did you leave one of your doppelgangers on Midgard in your absence? Someone may notice."

He turned around, nodded to her in greeting, and then weakly waved the concern away. "They can manage."

Her tone lighthearted, she chastised, "You should have come to me upon your arrival. Why lead me on this trail of bread crumbs?"

His demeanor morphed into something more somber, stiffer. "Forgive my deviation from protocol, but I needed to speak to you alone."

He could have spoken to her back in her study, but for some reason decided to come here instead. Based on how strained his eyes looked, she could guess one reason: he was too tired to sneak his way through the more heavily fortified section of the palace. "Then speak."

"I ask for a favor." He pointedly looked at the nearest hanging apple, the one no more than a foot above.

She didn't deny him, but was very curious to his reason for asking such an item. "Iðunn will not be pleased. She personally tends this tree and will know one is missing."

The tension in his shoulders relaxed as he received her unspoken permission: the fact that she didn't refuse and had proposed a potential complication. "Tell her I have claimed one. Only one … against the many, by right, I could have taken."

"She believes you have little need of it."

"Only because of a rumor."

"Yes, in your early adolescence, you had stolen the Tablet." The look on her face indicated that it was more truth than rumor.

He smirked at the memory. "It was temporary – and I returned it, all without being detected. I was merely curious on the workings behind these apples."

Well that wasn't all true; _she_ had detected him. She had also immediately confronted her wayward son and ordered him to return the item – just as stealthily as he had stolen it. As a result of the mysterious theft and return of the Tablet, including the rumors hinting him as the culprit, all of Asgard suspected he had studied and then created a better version of the encrypted formula that was carved onto its stone surface. "It was fortunate that you did so. It was a convenient excuse out of many as to why you did not eat them as often as your brother."

"I didn't eat them at all," he commented simply – and in the same breath, he asked, "And by chance, did you spread the rumor? I'd always suspected."

Even though he had said it in an uncaring way, Frigga knew it wasn't an idle question. Unflinchingly, she gave a solid, "Yes."

A proud grin broke across his face. "Tell me, Mother, is it poison to me? Why I was secretly forbidden to even touch one?"

"Must you force me to answer? You know it already," she replied, her lips tightly pressed together. She lifted a hand up and plucked the apple right above them, rustling and shaking the leaves and branches. She gazed into its golden sheen before placing it in her son's hand. As soon as she drew back her hand, the apple rippled and then vanished into the air.

"I thank you."

She regarded him with cool eyes. "I should not have to ask, but what will you do with it?"

"Gambling," was his teasing response.

She gave him a hard stare before relenting. "Then take my blessings."

He nodded and stepped back, but before he left, he asked in all seriousness, "How goes the preparation for the Mót?"

She frowned at the reminder; she had come here to distract herself from thinking about that topic after all. "As well as one can expect of a meeting that hasn't been called in over a millennium."

He waited for her to say more, but when nothing else was given, he warned, "Be watchful of the álfar; we may have traitors -"

"On Asgard?" she asked, cutting through his words. And with her husband and eldest son absent too!

"On Midgard, but please stay alert nonetheless," he urged.

This was still worrisome news. More calmly now, she inquired, "And what of the Menn?"

"Tearing themselves apart," he concluded with a strong measure of irritation.

* * *

"I know a lot of things… which is why I don't understand how I don't know about you, Harry."

Harry smirked, despite the fact that they were still in danger. It wasn't every day that he could frustrate Hermione in such a way. It was satisfying, especially since she had been trying to force a reaction from him by saying his name.

Then he had to remind himself again: no matter how much the woman in front of him looked like his friend, she wasn't her. Harry shook his head as he tried to distinguish the both of them. It was part of the reason he had easily fallen for her trick.

"Shouldn't we look for a safer place, before we stop to chat?" Harry gestured around the office room. "And what about this thing you're trying to find?"

Hermione gave him one more curious look, studying his person before she capitulated to his logic. She stepped away before walking past his left side to the desk. She went behind the desk, opened the second drawer, and pulled out a key ring, a couple of keys dangling from it. There was no hesitation; she knew exactly what she was looking for and where. Harry didn't think this was what she had been urgently trying to retrieve … unless that was a lie too.

"I'm only allowing you to follow me because of Stark," she said, her stance uneasy.

"Of course," Harry agreed as he unlocked the door. "Lead the way."

Her eyes didn't leave him until she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Harry followed her and quietly shut the door behind him. He didn't have to cast a detection spell to know that the immediate area was clear of people; he figured Hermione wouldn't have stepped out unless she was certain no one was around to see them in this restricted part of the building.

After what felt like an endless series of stone steps down into the basement, they finally reached a room full of large pipes along the wall and ground. His attention was back on Hermione when she gave a frustrated growl at the stubborn lock guarding the metal plate on the floor. A manhole down to the sewage system, judging by the smell.

"Do you need help with that?" Harry offered.

"No, I got it. The key just has to get through all that rust on the lock."

The thought of discretely unlocking it crossed and passed his mind. She would immediately suspect he had done something if the lock gave way when she wasn't even able to turn the key in the keyhole. Harry gave her another ten seconds before he suggested, "I can unlock it."

Hermione stubbornly insisted, "I said I don't need your – "

Harry sighed and reached down. As soon as he touched the lock, it gave off a satisfying click. "This is much faster."

Hermione glared at him, annoyed at another display of his abilities, at another instance of her dependence on him. She silently moved to the side and finding a crowbar, hooked it into a hole in the metal plate and lifted it up. The metal grate looked heavy, but Hermione managed to maneuver it to the side, exposing a dark tunnel with metal rungs jutting from the inside wall. Harry fisted his hand and grew another _Lumos_ before tossing it into the hole. It fell a distance of about ten meters and illuminated more stonework.

"Why did you do that? You might draw unnecessary attention to us."

"That metal grate made enough noise to draw anyone nearby and I think I can depend on you to know if there's people around," Harry countered, fully knowing that there was no one down there after casting a detection charm. He was trying to get her to say more about her situation – anything really. Exasperated, she still didn't take the bait and instead started to lower herself into the hole, holding the rungs tightly. Harry shortly did the same before casting a feather-light charm on the metal grate and sliding it over them.

After a slow descent, he finally reached the bottom to see Hermione curiously and carefully approaching the _Lumos_. "Is it safe?" she asked.

"Yes, you can hold it in your hand if you want," Harry said. Sniffing the air, he frowned at the moldy, wet air – and a smell he was trying not to identify.

Hermione picked up the _Lumos_ and it bounced on her hand like a ball of glowing fluff. He couldn't see her face; she had turned away to walk down the tunnel. The brick walls were far apart enough to allow Harry to follow, walk beside her, and catch the worried look on her face. The light outlined the shadows and lines on her face, aging her. She slowed her pace to ask, "It can't light anything on fire, right?"

"No, just light."

"Good, some of the gases down here may be flammable."

Harry frowned at the thought of being taken by surprise from an accidental fiery explosion. He made a mental note not to use _Incendio_. Taking the opportunity, he cast _Muffliato_ and Disillusionment charms on the both of them. He had a feeling he was going to get so comfortable casting them, he could do it in his sleep.

Hermione shivered at the feeling. "What did you do?" She turned to him and was confused when she couldn't find him at first.

He waved a hand in front her to show her where he was. "The light will draw anyone who sees it, but at least _we_ won't be seen. In this low light, we're practically invisible. Just be prepared to throw it away from us to shift that attention."

She opened her mouth to say something but then decided against it. She looked at her own hands and sure enough, it almost seamlessly blended into the walls. She muttered to herself, "This might be enough against the contrasting capabilities of – wait, what about thermal or infrared light?"

"I don't know about that," Harry admitted. Nervousness started to creep into him. He never really tested himself against muggle technology back home.

"If they're using night vision goggles, I'll know … but let's hope those types of cameras aren't installed down here."

After a minute of silently padding through the darkness and the sounds of trickling water, Harry decided it was safe enough to continue their earlier conversation.

"There was nothing about me until recently. SHIELD knows about me, I'm surprised you don't." When Hermione only had a pensive look on her face, Harry spoke again. "Anyway, I think I figured out what you can do – and what you can't do; it would explain why you kept running away from me. Why are you so tight-lipped about it?"

Her frown deepened.

Harry wasn't sure if her upset expression was from suspicion or if it was more stubbornness. Both, he reasoned. He waited a little bit more, letting the silence drag out uncomfortably; he knew he was being obstinate as well, but he didn't want to answer the questions he was sure she had, if she wasn't going to provide some of her own.

Hermione took a moment before admitting, "I'm a posthuman, specifically a telepath, but for some reason, I can't read you. You're like a blank spot while everyone else is like their own radio station."

He had been right – and thought of his basic, yet mandatory Occlumency skills required by the Department of Mysteries with greater appreciation; it was effective even in this world. He then became curious when she mentioned radio station, he was strangely reminded of what Tony had said about radio waves.

Despite that, he was still satisfied with her straightforward answer and responded, "Well I figured out the mind-reading part, how you knew when and where a gun was about to fire – thanks for that, by the way – but I meant you were already in Tony's head, why not dig a little deeper?" The question was intentionally posed in a light manner; Harry wanted to draw out another honest answer: how much compunction she had. "You've already frustrated him to no end by – what did he say again? – pulled the –"

"Pulled the passwords and override codes out from thin air. Yes, I know." She looked mighty proud of it too; she couldn't help it.

Harry blinked in surprise. This Hermione represented the strongest Legilimens he had ever seen, more powerful than even Voldemort … was she implying that her range was half way across the continent?

Hermione's mouth quirked up, guessing Harry's unspoken question. Harry knew that this wasn't the Hermione he knew, but he couldn't help finding similarities, like how she had a habit of correcting him … which she was going to do now.

"No, Stark was recapping some conversations in his head while he's occupied by his adoring fans. He's hoping you're ok – and regrets missing out on the cheeseburger. That's how I know your name; it's not like he's running your life history in his mind. Not that I can't take any information I want, but then it wouldn't be so discrete. Oh I think the cheeseburger just took priority in his head. He's really hungry and he's having trouble getting through the crowd to get to a hotdog stand."

 _Thanks Tony_ , Harry thought glumly. He was actually just as hungry but the smell down here did a good job of chasing his appetite away. He wasn't sure if he should cast a bubble-head charm and endure through the hunger or stick with the stench. Prolonged hunger always reminded him of the Dursleys, so with no hesitation, he decided the stench as the lesser of two evils.

A more pressing thought entered his head. He was a little dismayed that she used her telepathy so freely and with apparent impunity. It was going to bite her back sooner or later.

His thoughts stayed on Hermione until the rancid smell started stabbing his nose. He wasn't the only one; Hermione coughed and sneezed next to him. He wasn't sure how long he'd last through the stench when she led him through tunnels with open sewage running down the middle. Their feet were saved from walking through the sludge when Harry spotted a suspended metal catwalk.

Standing about two feet above the lumpy black water, he held his breath and then promptly gave up. "Screw it," he managed to choke out.

He cast the charm on the both of them and inhaled a large amount of the _clean_ air. Out of water, there was no visible bubble over his face, only an invisible barrier acting as a filter. Even though he couldn't see the charm, he felt the difference in the air quality even on his face.

He looked down at the sewage again. There better be a damn good reason for being here. "So were you serious about retrieving something important? Or was that a lie too?"

"I was telling the truth. There's something being hidden in the underground subway tunnels and I need to get to it. It was a secret project that was seized from AIM."

AIM? There had been no mention of anything missing. "That can't be the only reason you're on the run, at least not as simple as you're making it sound. You admitted that _everyone's_ chasing after you."

It wasn't until a long minute of trekking through the pipes and aqueducts had passed, did she finally tell more of her side of the story.

"I left because one of the Council members got too close to me and I read his surface thoughts – something troubling. I can't believe –" she stumbled over her words and hissed out, "His thought patterns are very strange but I did pick up something about using that AIM project on viral nanotechnology and an assassination plot."

"And? To kill who?" Harry asked, wondering if this had anything to do with him. "And why couldn't you have taken this information to Fury and the rest of the Council?"

"Assassinations are a staple in this business, as you well know –" Harry frowned at that. " – but this one's not one of their usual targets. I think it's either Stark or Rogers. It doesn't make sense! Why those two? And I can't just bring this up, I have no evidence… and I can't involve Fury."

"You don't trust him?" Harry certainly didn't. He actually didn't know what to think about Fury; his exposure to him had been very minimal. And who's Rogers?

"Not that, the man's smart; he understands his authority comes from the Council and that to go against one of them directly with no proof means losing his position and his life – along with anyone loyal to him. He's already refused a direct order in the past. They won't stand for another case of insubordination."

This was more proof that Fury was operating secretly under the Council, why Fury was lending his help intermittently. She didn't say it, but if it wasn't SHIELD that spread the information about Hermione, leading to her near-capture in the park, then it was the Council.

"I think it's the Council who spread information about me," she said, her words mirroring his thoughts.

"Why would they do this? Aren't you useful to them?"

"Too useful, and now I've proven to them that I'm too dangerous alive. Those thugs out there, they connected me to the hacker alias Oter. Every government agency, organization, and gang large enough to attract the attention of SHIELD or the Council is _up there_ trying to find me, because I've hit every one of them. They've all lost something of tremendous value because of me. They also gain something, if they have me, but you see … "

She unconsciously slowed down and swallowed thickly.

"Well, if one of them gets me alive, it's a victory. If I'm dead, it's also a victory. It's just one is easier to manage. It's a classic move: if you can't possess something, destroy it - "

"To prevent someone else from using it. I'm familiar with it," Harry finished grimly. He was thinking about his own move to either dispose or destroy the Hallows, but in his case, he didn't even want them. A side-way glance informed him that she wasn't taking all this too well. To take her mind off, he asked, "Oter? Sounds like Old English for otter." Hermione's Patronus form was an otter.

She looked behind her. "I'm surprised you figured it out. What? I like them. They're clever, slippery little animals."

"I have nothing against them. It's a good name."

She didn't respond and instead stopped to gaze into a dark corner. Harry thought for a moment that he had somehow offended her until she blinked a couple of times before pointing up.

"We need to make a short detour. Someone got _lost_ ," Hermione said as she took a sudden turn to the right and started going up the metal ladder bolted to the wall. "We'll need him, in case we run across the Council's agents."

"It's not the archer, is it?" Harry guessed.

"Yes, he's looking for us." She pushed against the hatch above her and when it didn't move, she looked below at Harry. "Can you open this?"

A flying _Alohomora_ was his answer. She immediately pushed the door up and peeked through the crack. She gestured for Harry to follow her up as she gently laid the door open wide – quietly, despite looking like it would screech on its hinges.

Out of the sewers, they found themselves in another corridor but lined with cables and temporary light fixtures propped up on stands. Seeing ample light, Harry extinguished the _Lumos_ in Hermione's hand. It looked like the place was being heavily renovated, judging by the large gouges on the walls. It was also a newer part; while the sewers were covered in worn bricks, this one was with concrete and plaster.

There was a group of people much farther down the hallway, about five workers in hard hats sitting around in a loose circle, backs to them and taking a break. Harry and Hermione crept the opposite direction, and upon finding a stairway, they slipped through two flights of stairs and out the door at the top.

This time, Harry knew where they were. The unmistakable sound of train cars rolling on top of rails could be heard echoing along the impressively graffiti-painted walls. The two were standing inside the subway system and the only thing keeping them safe from the cars was the service platform built to the side of the rails.

After the rumbling of a distant train passed them, Harry heard the sound of boots approaching them. Looking to his left, Harry could make out the figure of a man running his way through, his silhouette brightening and then darkening as he passed the lights interspersed along the tunnel. Harry removed the Disillusionments so they would be visible to him.

Once close enough, Harry could make out the full black ensemble: canvas uniform jacket and matching pants, a side-arm on his thigh and a recurve bow attached to his back as well as a half-empty quiver. With short hair, hard eyes, and a five-o'clock shadow on his face, the man looked ready to face the apocalypse – until a wide grin cracked across his face.

"I wasn't sure I was going to find my way out of here – and embarrassing if I report back after losing sight of you Ms. Granger. Makes it hard to protect you if I can't find you," the archer admitted with an easy smile once he reached them. He made no mention of how they just dribbled into existence in front of him, having watched Harry in the park.

"Why Mr. Hawkeye, now you're just lying," Hermione replied. "You were in no danger of being trapped here, you're too heavily trained for that."

"You know the Director suspected that about you all along. I couldn't believe it at first," Hawkeye said – but then all humor drained from his eyes. "But give me some courtesy, some privacy, hm?"

Hermione stood shocked as if she had been slapped. Her confidence cracked and for a moment she looked a little lost, with one hand on her upper arm like she was trying to hug herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'd forgotten about your … nevermind."

Hermione didn't look at the agent, turned around and started going down the subway corridor. Over her shoulder, she said, "We're retrieving a virus nanotech, in case you're wondering. You can come with us." She picked up her pace after that.

Harry realized that she had committed a very serious mistake of looking into the archer's mind. The first time to identify and locate him was justifiable, but just now … she had done it as naturally as if it was a shake of the hand or a "How are you?" greeting. It had practically become habit for her, which Harry suspected had been developed and maintained throughout her stay with the Council. She hadn't been there to make friends, but to gather as much intelligence as she could.

Harry decided not to interfere. This Hermione wasn't his friend and in either case, both women were adults; interfering may embarrass her further.

"Who helped you?" Hermione tried again, nervously. "Navigating through here requires someone who knows these sublevels."

Harry felt a brief tension between the two before it cleared up suddenly. Apparently Hawkeye didn't hold onto grudges, because he returned to his good mood – but judging on how quickly his mood turned in the first place, it could be an act.

"It was the Captain. I called him about old tunnels underneath streets, and you should have heard him, all ecstatic and eager like a kid. He used to play in them, just started listing all the entrances and hidden tunnels … and then when I got down here, realized some of them are collapsed or something else was built in its place. By then I was too far underground to call him back. I should have realized sooner when I couldn't find any sign of the old pneumatic tube systems he kept talking about."

"They're still around. Not all of it intact, but a substantial part since its closure in the 1950s. Welcome to Manhattan's underworld. Thousands and thousands of miles of subway tunnels, sewage and steam pipes, aqueducts, and who knows. One on top of each other, since the 19th century, and no one alive knows everything about it. In fact, because most of it's been left to rot, no one can be sure who owns what anymore."

"I can believe the sewage part. You two smell like you just came from it," Hawkeye said to himself.

Harry was stunned by how extensive these tunnels were. They passed by a subway station particularly embellished with colored tiles and bell-shaped lights – all abandoned. A piece of a long-gone vintage era. "What about blueprints?"

Hermione shook her head. "The old ones, left to dust, just like the tunnels we went through. There's no comprehensive map, only partial ones specific to whatever system the architect or engineer focused on. If they're still readable, then they're hidden and scattered in various archives. No digital forms of them, so it's not like I could steal from their database."

"A maze. It's the perfect place to hide something –" Harry paused when he heard a tap. And then another series of taps along the metal pipe lining the smooth gray wall. "Or someone. Sounds like a message."

"Give me a second," Hermione requested as she leaned on the wall and held a hand to the side of her head, as if she was trying to cup her ears to hear farther.

When she had her eyes closed for over half a minute, Hawkeye decided to strike up a conversation. "You're Harry, right?"

Harry nodded and then asked, "Hawkeye?"

The agent shrugged and replied, "It's a code name. Sorry if I don't introduce myself. Anyway, Harry, you're not supposed to be … _here_." He moved his hand around in a vague motion.

Fury must have told Hawkeye about him. Harry decided to give a very short answer. "Something came up, I can't safely go back."

"I don't have a problem with you, but the Director's going to be –" He snorted at his own joke. " – furious. You came at a bad time, that's all."

"I've noticed – though I'd imagine he'd be unhappy no matter the time."

"That sounds about right. So how'd you get the Grade A asshole to leave you alone? Safety just doesn't come to my mind as one of his considerations for a stranger."

"You mean Loki?" Harry asked with chuckle.

"Who else? You thought I was bad-mouthing my superior officer?"

Taking the opportunity to go over the words exchanged between him and Loki, Harry wouldn't call that as a sign of being left alone. There were a lot of things that neither of them had said, neither wanting to give the other too much. There was something, Harry thought, that Loki was keeping to himself, something Harry felt was going to be important. Sooner or later, he was going to have to find a way to extract that information, like extracting teeth from a crocodile. Harry winced; it wasn't going to be pretty. Harry turned back to the SHIELD agent and said point-blank, "Blackmail."

There was a short bark of laughter from Hawkeye.

It was at this moment, Hermione shook herself and pushed herself from the wall. "We're fine. It's just the homeless who squat down here. They like to call themselves houseless though. Some posthumans down here too, the Morlocks. They keep to themselves and their powers don't have much impact, which is why SHIELD leaves them alone."

"The reference to H.G. Wells is intentional then?" Hawkeye asked, amused.

"Yes, it's a joke to them. Come on, I found what I needed. There's a faster way through. No one up there knows these tunnels as well as the people who live down here. And one of them remembers some construction that was done several months ago. That's where we're going." Hermione started leading again, but then stopped and turned around in front of the agent. "How many agents are here?"

"Fury only sent me. Extraction mission, he said – for a person: you. But now, it's a person _and_ an object."

She resumed her quick pace. "Okay, we might need - "

"It might not remain that way."

"Really?" she asked, excited at the news.

"Well, you know how Stark can overdo things?"

Her smile disappeared and she almost choked on her own words. "Stark knows we're down here? He needs to stay away! Do you know how many things can go wrong - "

"Then why was he at the park?" the agent asked with exasperation.

"That was before I found out the Council was about to relocate the virus!"

"I can get a message through," Harry cut in.

"We're too far underground, I said that," Hawkeye reminded.

"Not with a mobile. I have an alternate method." Facing away from them, Harry held his hand out and immediately thought of his friends – he was a bit surprised when he didn't think exclusively of the ones back at home – and allowed the accompanying happiness to fill him. Warmth traveled through his arm then to his hand before leaving the tips of his fingers to form the powerful stag.

"Prongs, go to Tony's tower and tell JARVIS that we're ok. Have him contact Tony and tell him to not come after us."

Prongs snorted and pawed the ground before galloping straight into the wall and disappearing in a misty puff. Both Hermione and Hawkeye stared at the spot where the stag had been.

"How sentient is that? And doesn't a glowing animal attract attention?" Hermione finally asked, leading them again through the subway, across the tracks and into another tunnel. She avoided the infamous third rail with exaggerated motions, treating it almost like a bomb.

 _As sentient as me, because it's a part of me_. Harry didn't say that, it felt too personal, so instead he assured her with, "Prongs knows how to remain unseen. Let's focus on getting that virus, shall we?"

The sooner this was over, the better.

Harry reapplied all the charms – restoring the camouflage and the muffling, including more defensive ones. He still received the odd glances, but both Hermione and Hawkeye had become more or less comfortable enough with Harry to just accept the strange sparks of light flying from his hands and occasionally on them – at least for now. He had just finished when Hermione stopped in front of him.

"They're here!" Hermione warned, all of a sudden with eyes focused somewhere Harry couldn't see. They burst into action, sprinting down the tunnel.

"How many and what do they have?" Harry asked, after they had taken the left tunnel when it forked into two.

Her hand fisted some of her hair as she urgently searched. She was about to answer when all of a sudden, she froze again. "Train! Behind us!"

As if her words had triggered it, they heard the split tracks farther behind them snapping as it aligned itself into the left tunnel, _their_ tunnel.

Harry turned to her and asked, "Anywhere we can run to up ahead? We can't backtrack."

She shook her head to indicate that there was no open area close by. Hermione started muttering how they should have gone back down into the drainage system and how this train wasn't scheduled to run at this time. For the first time since meeting her, Harry saw that she was at a lost as to what to do.

Like a death knell, the sound of a horn boomed.

Harry looked around for someplace to hide, but they had traveled into an enclosed tunnel made of solid cement with the oddly placed hole here and there at the top. There was no way of telling how far the tunnel extended - they needed a safe place right now. Harry didn't even consider lying on the tracks to allow the train to go over them. That was just asking for it.

The smooth walls only allowed the width of the train car and above them ... he thought there was just enough space. There were short partitions built into the ceiling like rectangular ribs lining the tunnel and it was possible to squeeze in between two of them.

It wasn't an easy climb, nothing on the walls they could grab or step on. The light fixtures and cables too weakly mounted on to support any of their weights. Different ideas ran through his head: _Levicorpus_ would only end up slamming them straight into the ceiling feet first, simply levitating a person would take too much time and concentration, and Apparating around would make them lose time or worse: land him in front of another train.

Hawkeye had taken out a couple of metal spikes. With a grim expression, he admitted, "I can get up there with these, but I don't have enough for all three of us."

Harry could hear the train's horn becoming louder and rising higher in pitch. No time to figure out to get up there safely. Taking a chance and hoping nothing dangerous was behind the wall, Harry laid a hand on the concrete and Vanished a chunk of it.

It was only big enough to fit one of them.

The screeching of the train on the tracks felt unbearably loud, screaming in his ears. _Ignore it!_ Desperate, Harry clawed at the air, commanded the wall in front of him to disappear, and carved out another clump and then another; this time, the hole was barely large enough to fit all three. Hermione squeezed in first, followed by Hawkeye. It looked pretty uncomfortable. _Don't think about that!_ All of a sudden, a light alerted him to the train going around the curve.

Harry automatically slipped into the cramped space - followed by the charging train behind him and the accompanying gale as if he was fighting through a tornado. It shoved him – embarrassingly – closer to Hawkeye and Hermione, mashing them together.

Harry turned his head around to see the blur of metal and wheels, his face inches away. It was a tense five seconds before the adrenaline started to level off to a more manageable level, but it was several more seconds before the train cars passed harmlessly by. He allowed himself a huge sigh of relief before he pulled himself out of the hole. He watched Hawkeye come out next and then an agitated Hermione.

"No, they're taking it!" she declared, finally freeing herself from the wall.

Harry didn't miss the slight tremor in her voice. He automatically grabbed her hand and ran, to help her shake off the close-call. He admitted to himself that the hole in the wall was not the most graceful solution, but at least they were all alive. The sudden action helped focus her again.

"Two groups of five. All armed, night vision equipped, and a hundred feet –" Hermione pointed into the wall. "- that direction."

He could work with that. _Like summoning all those guns from Coulson_ , Harry thought. It had turned out to be a useful quirk. Harry could grab all of them – if none of them were strongly restrained. He only hoped that none of them were bound in such a way.

They scrambled up a platform and then hastily opened a door labeled "Maintenance: Employees Only." Red lights in the darkness greeted them; emergency lights turned on when the primary lights became nonfunctional.

Harry stretched out a hand and as if he had snatched something in the air, he drew back his hand quickly. Sounds of surprise and movement farther down echoed and bounced around the hall. A moment later, the dull outline of a tumbling object flew through the darkness. It was joined by several dozen more.

He stopped immediately and brought up a shield charm, letting them harmlessly smack into his _Protego._ Before Harry vanished them, Hawkeye took one second to study them, face falling with dread when his eyes recognized one of the pistols, before he said, "A Glock 26… this isn't all of them." Harry had hoped for too much.

The agent picked up one of the pistols and shoved it into a side pocket of his pants. Harry could hear the sound of Velcro tearing behind him as Hawkeye secured the extra weapon.

"One group is leaving!" Hermione cried out in dismay.

"Granger, give me another route," Hawkeye demanded.

"Up there," she returned. "I'll guide you the rest of the way."

Without even a nod, Hawkeye immediately swung himself onto the ladder and disappeared. Harry wished he could summon this nanotech Hermione was after, but with no picture in his mind of what it looked like or even a basic understanding of it, he couldn't even try.

They turned a corner to see five figures down the passage, dark baggy uniforms blending in with the shadows. Despite the cumbersome-looking night vision goggles on their heads and ski masks over their faces, they moved lithely, each of them carrying a small brown cardboard box.

"Second group," Hermione identified.

The last person in the line handed a box to one of the other four and broke from the group, standing in between the retreating team and Harry. It looked like the Disillusionment wasn't enough, because the man turned his head to face Harry and Hermione. There was no question that they had been spotted.

Harry had a hunch. Before the four from the second group could get any farther, he Summoned the boxes from their arms at the same time Hermione said, "The virus!"

Triumph coursed through him as five objects hurtled towards him, but just as quickly, the lone figure intercepted two – no three, of the boxes! Harry caught the other two, shrunk them quickly and stuck them in his pocket. It was done so fast that to anyone watching, the two boxes had shrunk out of existence. Before Harry could summon the other three he missed, something was thrown in his direction. He didn't block it having learned that it might also block his vision. Not knowing what it was, he vanished the projectile as it arched across.

Harry's opponent didn't charge through like Loki did, but was instead buying time for his teammates to collect the remaining boxes. He was keeping Harry busy by throwing another two more spherical objects. And then Harry saw it: the hand going for a draw.

The handgun was pulled from a tight holster and two shots were fired – at his heart. A third and fourth shot went flying straight to his head.

Harry was forced to pull up the barrier charm. As the four bullets pinged away from the shield, Harry also heard the sounds of a struggle ahead and watched as Hawkeye drop down from a hole in the ceiling and launch himself against the other man.

Hawkeye blocked the elbow aiming for the side of his ribs, but then his fist was deflected and his kick was caught. It left him vulnerable to a solid punch into his chest and a trip straight into the wall. Using the wall, Hawkeye pushed himself back into the fight. In a stunning display of dexterity, their opponent had weaved and swung around the agent's limbs, tipped him off balance and thrown him at Harry and Hermione.

At the same time, Harry got in one small victory, as he had sent an angry red _Expelliarmus_ while their enemy had his back turned, busy swinging Hawkeye around. As soon as the man had let go of the agent, he was struck and flung back, but didn't stay down. After landing on agile legs, the man didn't turn around to continue the fight but simply retreated.

Using himself as an anchor, Harry sent out a quick _Aresto Momentum_ to slow down Hawkeye's flight before the agent could topple them like bowling pins.

Having landed in front of Harry, Hawkeye was the one who caught the enemy's pistol before he started to chase, almost like he was possessed. Desperate.

"Gas!" Hermione breathlessly warned.

When they turned around the corner, a cloud of smoke burst from the ground.

"Don't breathe it!" the agent ordered as he ran through, covering his face. "What the hell are you doing?" Hawkeye demanded under his sleeve, when Harry didn't listen.

"Drop your hand, I can make it so that you can breathe through whatever they throw at us," Harry suggested. Hawkeye gave him a disbelieving look before reluctantly dropping his arms.

With their hands free, they were able to run faster through the cement service tunnels. It was two more gas bombs before their quarry changed his routine, by slapping an array of plastic explosives on the walls as he ran past.

Hawkeye immediately halted, forcing Harry and Hermione to stop behind him. Harry didn't see what Hawkeye did and before he could do anything, the agent shoved them behind a corner, another hallway. The next moment, a cascade of five explosions rocked the service hall.

By the second boom, Harry had opened a shield in case the ceiling was destabilized in the blasts.

They waited behind the corner with their heads covered. Harry was the first to look around after silence had settled. He was promptly pushed back down.

"There's a second series of explosions – to mess with your head," Hawkeye explained, his eyes not meeting Harry's.

"How do you know there won't be a third?" Harry asked while reapplying the shield to form a temporary bunker.

"You don't know. That's the psychological dilemma, isn't it? But _I_ know there's only two."

Sure enough, another round of explosions shook the corridor. This time a few of the ceiling tiles had fallen and cracked over Harry's barrier.

"We lost them," Hermione whispered in the dark, slumped to the side in defeat.

Still crouched, Harry turned to Hermione, to check if she was alright. He didn't think it was a complete failure if he could continue the chase. "Hermione, did you get any of their names?"

"Knowing them's not going to help us very much."

"I might be able to find them with just their names," Harry stressed.

Hermione looked at him strangely and then shook her head in defeat. "Even so, they'll be dead ends. They're going to pass their packages to someone else and it's getting harder to track them the farther they move from me. It's like a relay race – except here, if we do find those people, we won't know who they passed the virus to, because they don't know either. They were only given instructions. We can't take back all of them like this."

"Then what do you suggest?" Harry shot up, back on his feet, annoyed and restless.

"Well, tracking one of them might not be a bad idea, but they were all dispensable agents … except for one. I couldn't pull out a lot of information from -"

"You mean the one we fought, don't you?" Hawkeye asked with troubled eyes.

"Who is he?" Harry asked, eager for a name.

"That wasn't a man. That's Natasha," Hawkeye confessed. He reluctantly pulled out the two handguns he had kept. They were identical and belonged together as a set.

 _Natasha? Agent Romanova?_ A small voice in his head told him he shouldn't be surprised – wasn't that predatory grace a tell-tale sign? – but he couldn't help feeling a little blind-sided. Wasn't she supposed to be on the same side? Not necessarily on his side, but _their_ – in a more general sense – side. Something boiled inside at the thought of her betrayal.

Harry looked at Hawkeye suspiciously. "Aren't you and Romanova working under Fury?"

"The Director's got nothing to do with this – and if he does, there's got to be more to it. And for Natasha, any orders from the Council supersedes his. If she's guilty of anything, it's following orders," Hawkeye defended, daring them to contradict him.

"He's right. I wouldn't trust Fury otherwise," Hermione confirmed. "Look, why don't we get out of here first and then figure out –"

"Her real name?" Harry asked again. He was going to walk away with that at least.

Hawkeye shook his head. He wasn't going to give it.

But it didn't mean Hermione wasn't. "Her birth name is Natalia Alianovna Romanova."

"That was confidential!" Hawkeye hissed out, angry at the breach. "We have aliases for a reason."

"I'm no longer under the authority of the Council. I can foresee you won't be either, soon enough; the rules have changed. Harry, if you're going to go find her, understand that by now, she's probably been ordered to kill you. The Council sends her personally to deal with any troublesome posthuman."

"I think I got that message from the bullets flying around my head earlier," Harry dryly commented, not even trying to disagree with the posthuman label.

"Harry! Don't joke," Hermione stressed. "She's unofficially the most lethal assassin, with almost 70 years of experience."

 _She's over 70?!_ Harry wasn't trying to make light of his situation, but he had to reconsider how much crap he was in after hearing _that_. Still, this wasn't the first time he was up against someone that old, but he was going to make sure he was better prepared this time around.

Harry's paranoia going to extreme levels now, he cast a wide detection charm and a supersensory one. He didn't find anyone, but in the silence he thought he heard a high pitch whine.

"Harry – " Hawkeye started to warn.

It was pure gut instinct that made Harry raise a shield above him. The next moment, a red laser punctured, sizzled the air from the ceiling, going around in a circle. His _Protego_ absorbed the beam and then a moment of silence … followed up by a cracking and crunching. Harry bore the pain in his ears, as the noise thundered and rattled in his skull, amplified by his charm-enhanced senses. With one eye open, he saw that both Hermione and Hawkeye had retreated to a safe distance away before rubble started to rain around him.

A large slab pounded once on his shield. And then another. Harry heard some clattering as something else bounced off his shield. Then there was silence again. He thought he heard the familiar sound of machine through the dust and cloud of debris.

Harry recognized it instantly and gritted his teeth. When the dust cleared, he was met with the sight of red and gold, with a generous helping of gray from the concrete. Cancelling all his charms, Harry stalked towards the guilty party and flicked an unlocking charm at the helmet. "You almost crushed me with a ton of concrete and your bloody suit!"

"Hey, you were invisible on radar! I detected two people here, not three! Not my fault!" Tony hastily defended, metal finger pointed at Harry.

Harry glowered and seethed at another case of near-death experience. _Who needs enemies when your friends are trying to kill you too?_

"You were told to stay away –" Harry peered into the helmet and was taken aback when he found it housed no one. His anger, not to be denied, quickly overcame him again.

"I did!" the voice squawked self-righteously. But Tony wasn't finished, he had one more quip. "And what's with sending me _Bambi_ of all things?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my pre-readers, Junky and bookworm51485 (FFnet), who comment among other things, on my use of language, logic, and technical and mechanical considerations necessary for the story's world.  
> If you hadn't heard the news yet, Coulson officially survives after the Avengers movie, somehow. He has his own TV show now, called the "Agents of SHIELD," and his team investigates strange cases like people with superhuman abilities.  
> There is a stone tablet in Odin's Vault in the Thor movie. Much online support for it being the Tablet of Life and Time. I don't think it is.  
> I am incorporating elements from the Iron Man 3 movie, such as Extremis and AIM (both originally from comic-verse and unrelated to one another), but this story will not follow the movie; events have changed. It's AU now - if it wasn't before.


	19. The Long Game

Bruce sat down on the concrete floor with his back to the wall, a tablet on his lap and the screen reflecting off his glasses. Other than the light from his tablet, the room was washed in the characteristic blue glow of Cherenkov radiation: a signature of the Cosmic Cube, the Tesseract, Tony's arc reactor … and strangely, the Casket of Ancient Winters, which was residing next to the Cube as a failsafe against any doors opening from the _other_ side. Next to him, a steaming mug of tea and a small plate with a half-eaten green chile enchilada was left exposed to the air. When he had come inside the room, Bruce had pointedly looked away from all the plastered signs that said, "No Food or Drinks." It wasn't like anyone could stop him.

After being practically spirited away from New York, he was using the down time to go over the records for the Cube, accumulated since he had last been here. He could have accessed the monitoring system from his room, but he preferred working in here – especially to keep himself from worrying about what was happening in Manhattan. The last he heard about it was from JARVIS, who had relayed to him that Tony was still at the park and Harry had disappeared.

Bruce took another nervous bite of the enchilada and surveyed the room. If he pushed away the unsettling memories from months back, the room was actually quite tranquil. At least, no one would bother him in here.

He took that back; _most_ people would not bother him in here. Without looking up, he asked with a small smile, "You want another late night sparring match? I think Tony's getting jealous." Bruce was too dignified to gloat about how he wins every time.

"Yester evening was enough," was the unamused response.

It was Monica's voice.

As recognition flushed against him, Bruce flinched and suddenly the air in his lungs was suffocating. "Do you mind not being _her_ around me?" he snapped testily at the woman before him.

"I was in a hurry," Loki admitted, his face now cleanly stripped of the woman's image. This was the closest he would come to apologizing.

Bruce sighed and took off his glasses so he could rub his eyes. "It's fine. I'm fine – I should be okay with it by now," Bruce dismissed the error, said more to himself than for anyone else.

"Perhaps you've spent too much time in close proximity to the Cube? You've felt the effects from the Tesseract, the scepter before – and this is no different."

"I know my limits. Besides, I just got here. It wasn't five minutes before you showed up," Bruce said, still a little irate. He sipped his cooling tea before asking, "So what do you want?"

Loki walked up with a binder he had pulled from the very air. He placed it at Bruce's feet and before standing again, he curled his fingers like he was tracing an invisible ball. Bruce blinked at the resulting sparks and Loki was back up on his feet, padding across to the center of the room where the Cube rested.   
  
Bruce looked down and there was an oddly colored apple on top of the binder. He picked up the apple, its weight similar to a normal piece of fruit, laid it to the side next to his mug and opened the binder. He skimmed through the first page and with furrowed brow, asked, "Isn't this information something you should take to Fury?"

With his back to Bruce, Loki placed his hand on an exposed section of the Cube, on a section not connected to some sort of equipment. "He has a copy. How can he not? He has as much access to AIM's records as I do."

"So what do you want me to do about this? Pharmaceutical chemistry's not my thing."

Irritation was the most prominent feature on Loki's face. "Did that stop you when you roamed through several favelas in Brazil, until you settled on Rocinha? Searching for a cure from your condition?"

Bruce kept his eyes closed as an effort to stay calm. The words had certainly stung. It wasn't until he felt that familiar smoldering heat inside that he opened his now green eyes. "You had to dig a little too deep, didn't you?"

Loki turned his head sharply to look at Bruce. "I haven't, but I will if you try to hide behind ignorance."

Bruce stared back, almost daring him to dig for more information, but the initial anger wouldn't hold. How could he remain angry when AIM had worked so closely with Betty's father, General Thaddeus Ross? If there was such a thing as an expert on the Hulk, that man would count as one. It wasn't a leap of logic that there would be something about Bruce in AIM's records.

The thought of Betty further calmed him. "Fine - sorry, all of that was in poor taste. You wouldn't have come to me if I was incapable. So … what do you want me to do again? This Extremis is laughably unstable. Is that it?" Bruce tapped the folder he had placed on his lap. "The thing's more volatile than what I have to endure."

"Not stabilize it, neutralize it," Loki corrected, turning away from Bruce again.

Skipping several pages, Bruce said, "This is work from Hansen and Killian. I've heard of them, but I didn't know they were part of AIM. What can I do that they can't?"

"Could not. They are dead."

"What? When?"

"Shortly after SHIELD discovered their plans to use the virus, for a coup against your government. A specialized branch of AIM had been testing it on discharged soldiers and releasing them in civilian areas. That had been their Stage 1 and were about to execute their second one. SHIELD intervened. Unfortunately, it may have led to the theft of the virus from AIM. I suspect for usage in a larger scale."

"How would you even know the scale?"

"The amount stolen … and from tracking the rare materials needed to create more. It all leads to SHIELD, or someone affiliated with them."

"The Council? Well I guess I shouldn't be shocked. And the apple? Your way of giving me a headstart?"

Loki nodded once. "Search inside it, isolate the agent capable of wiping clean a diseased body. Make use of AIM's labs if you require them."

Bruce scoffed. "Now Tony will get jealous. I feel like the belle of the ball; everyone wants to dance with me," he commented with a shake of his head. "I don't have to say that this is dangerously close to a breach in the treaty. Why can't this wait until after free trade – or at least, freer trade – has been established? Isn't it supposed to be very soon? I doubt even the Council would use something so volatile … " Only the low hum of machinery was heard for a couple of seconds. "Right, why am I using my logic on that motley crew?"

"This cannot tarry. As long as you remove small amounts of it to study, but not consume it entirely, I can still claim it as whole."

"You're oversimplifying this," Bruce accused. "But alright, this is going to be tough. And I have to check if it's safe for human consumption too? This is a rush job that's meant to take months, if not years."

"Would you rather I do it posthaste? Snatch a few hundred off the streets to test?"

"I'm going to treat that as a joke," Bruce replied sternly. "Why not just give me the structure or structures? We can possibly synthesize it."

"Too complex. You can barely manipulate self-replicating systems … but very well, you may have this," Loki conceded with a downward stroke of his free hand. An illusion appeared before Bruce, rotating and showcasing the complexity of the structure Bruce had asked for.

"Alright, so synthesis is out," Bruce concluded with a shake of his head, eyes focused on memorizing every detail. "Too many ring structures – the folding is tricky – these tertiary interactions, how are they stable? – and these functional groups … "

"That is only one of the components of a complex."

"One?" Bruce weakly repeated.

"Word of caution: keep the apple at a distance from injured parties."

Gathering himself this time, Bruce figured out what wasn't being said. "Which is why you gave it to me. I don't get injured."

Loki hummed in agreement. "That is not the skin of the apple. It is the delivery mechanism – and when triggered, can be truly startling."

"So this is really the mythical golden apple? Immortality, youth, power – and you're letting me study it?"

"What you listed, you practically have them already. As well as Rogers, if you like another notable example. I would not be introducing a new profound concept. Iðunn's formula can do a bit more; it can bring strength to some … but be a death sentence for others."

Bruce laughed weakly, his head thudding against the wall as he heaved a big sigh. "Great. Now I know this is the biggest reason why you're not the one handling this little puppy."

There was no response from Loki, staying still except to withdraw his hand from the Cube.

Bruce watched the readings from the Cube, sent to his tablet in real time. "That was fast. You usually take more than that. Stay a little longer, unless you want to go around tired and getting sloppy."

"I cannot linger; I'm late."

"Well you might want to stay a little for this." Bruce tapped his finger on the screen of his tablet. "I pulled out another frequency from the Fourier Transform; it's got to be Harry's. It matches his arrival from several days ago. This means that Harry's not the extra signal that's been showing up over the course of months. Now that Jane's told me what I've been seeing all this time, I can say we're looking at another dark energy user and he's getting stronger … but you knew that, didn't you? Well? Is it _him_?"

"No, only my successor. An exceptional, meticulous individual with the troublesome penchant to flee when I am even remotely near."

* * *

The last half hour in New York had become a lesson in patience, waiting just long enough for SHIELD to come in and insert two people standing in for Hermione and Hawkeye. Apparently Tony had generated enough attention breaking through the floors that it would have been poor publicity if he came out empty. It wasn't necessarily a lie, because Tony had really been trying to save two people who he had thought were trapped by the underground explosions, but Hermione and Hawkeye couldn't be exposed. Once the replacements had arrived, Harry had Apparated Hermione and Hawkeye back to the Observatory in New Mexico, leaving Tony's suit by itself in the middle of reporters.

Immediately upon arrival in front of the doors to Harry's rooms, Hawkeye had excused himself and a bewildered Hermione was led away by an exuberant Jane. Jane had said a quick, "Welcome back," but her attention was really on Hermione. The last Harry had heard of the two women were whispers of checking the math behind an energy model of a supermassive black hole before they had walked past earshot. He had been left awkwardly with Darcy in the middle of the hallway.

Even that didn't last. Darcy had promptly told him there was probably going to be a debriefing soon and that he should get himself cleaned up in the meantime, after noting his stained clothes and his hair sticking up on the side. He couldn't ask her about anything else when she had blinded him with a camera flash and walked away.

That had been forty minutes ago and now, Harry was wondering where everybody else was and if he had been left out of the loop again. He stepped out of his room, fresh from a shower and change of clothes – at last clean from the happenings in underground Manhattan – and almost ran into Bruce.

"Oh, Harry, I wanted to talk you," Bruce said, tucking a binder under his arm. "Earlier, I had gone inside your room to retrieve You – no not you! – Tony's other robot. I know the name's confusing. But, uh, it was spending too much time inside your room and I thought maybe there had been a malfunction or something. It wasn't responding to my calls. I didn't want to alarm you if you had noticed that someone had been inside. Sorry about that."

Harry did notice. His bed had been made, so he had assumed the robot, but not Bruce. "It's fine, I understand, but I need to go, to find someone now. So excuse me."

"Sure, sure. I'm busy myself," Bruce said, walking past and then he turned around, remembering something. "Before I forget, You was staring at a potted plant … thing … in your room. Is – was that your wand?"

"Yes, as you saw, it err, sprouted."

"Is that normal?"

"No," Harry replied.

"Oh, I see. I didn't think so either."

Harry couldn't imagine how Bruce would know how wrong a sprouting wand was. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the wood is from a Holly tree, right? The leaves, they're not Holly leaves."

Even though Harry had avoided looking at his wand ever since he got back, he frowned, doubting what Bruce said instantly. "They were small leaflets when I left earlier today. Not big enough to identify, but I'm sure you're mistaken."

"I'm not a botanist, but I know what Holly leaves look like," Bruce countered.

Harry turned around, stepped back inside his room when the door whooshed open again. He immediately closed the distance between the door and farther inside to the dresser where he had left his wand. Or what was left of his wand.

Harry stood stumped. The thing had grown like a weed to the point it resembled more of a miniature bush, with spindly roots peaking over the rim of the pot. But Harry didn't care about that, it was the fact that Bruce was right. It was not a Holly.

"I don't know what happened," Harry confessed.

Bruce walked up beside him and pointed at the plant. "I think I've seen this before. I just can't seem to remember where or recall its name. I have a friend who can probably help. I had brief correspondences with him, but very helpful. Got a green thumb with plants, has his own greenhouse in Oxford."

"As in between London and Bristol? Oxford, England?"

"Yes, Oxford University. Sorry I should've been more specific. He's a new professor there, in Plant Sciences."

"I don't know about making a trip all the way over there … at least not right now. How about communicating with him the same way we did with Jane?"

"I can probably do that. I'll ask him and get back to you. It might be better to give him a sample though. A few leaves."

Harry was more than very curious, but he needed to find out about something else right now. He'd have to push this for later. "I'm sure, but not this moment, and please tell me when you're setting up this meeting. Perhaps for tomorrow? I'd like to be there. And what's his name?" Harry asked because of courtesy, already walking back out of the room. He didn't want to sound too impatient, Bruce was helping him after all.

Bruce followed him out. "Neville Longfellow."

Harry's legs froze on the spot and his brows shot up upon hearing that name. Someone who was good with plants named Neville Longfellow. It wasn't Longbottom, but still ...

Before Harry could ask more about it, Bruce was the one who started excusing himself. "I need to go, I'll be upstairs in one of the labs." When Harry only had a puzzled look on his face, Bruce added with a glance over Harry's shoulder, "For everyone's safety," and then left.

That didn't clear up the confusion at all. It wasn't until Harry turned around did he find the reason for Bruce's abrupt departure. It was the Director of SHIELD looking ominous and filling the entire hall, heading straight for Harry in commanding strides. Harry figured Bruce's behavior had something to do with Fury's comment about how Bruce had traded freedom for protection. It was an honest statement, but was tactlessly delivered.

"Granger tells me that you've collected two boxes," Fury informed, planting himself in front of Harry. It was really a demand for them.

The idea to hold them for ransom, for information was tempting. He decided against it. Harry pulled them out from his pocket, returned them back to normal size, and then handed both to Fury. "Was there an order to off me?" Harry asked, trying not to force the question.

Silently, Fury inspected the two boxes, inside each was a plastic shock resistant case. One of the cases had a block of foam inside, with holes cut out meant to hold something small, snug and tight. It was empty. Fury didn't answer Harry until he opened the second case and revealed, to their good fortune, that it was filled with hand-size metal objects, resembling remote controls. It wasn't anything that ordinary as demonstrated by Fury when he opened one of them along its middle, a line easily missed in the background of a brushed metal finish to reveal something that looked like an injector. "She's to obey any orders by the Council. If there's been a hit, it's from them, not me."

"You don't sound very disappointed."

"It's not surprising. If what's happened is what I think has happened, then she's now a double agent for _our_ side. You weren't supposed to know about her mission back in New York or her name. I lost contact with her, but I expect it was the Council who called her for the job and the reason why she's maintaining radio silence. Now will you let me do _my_ job?"

"So that's it? I'm just collateral damage?"

"If you want to think of it that way – but you're practically immortal. You're the last person I'm worried about. Stay low and you'll be fine, but I doubt it with the way you've been exposing yourself. I did you a favor by keeping anything about you from the Council. It's all useless now; they can't have missed your teleportation stunt and _now_ your miraculous intervention at the park. Blame yourself."

"I was the one who got Hermione to safety and whatever this nanotech is."

"This is only _part_ of the nanotech that had gone missing – and I had my man working on retrieving her."

"He couldn't have done it alone. And why'd you send that message to Tony, if you had everything under control just by sending out Hawkeye?"

"You don't know Hawkeye's skill set, so no I wouldn't cross out the possibility that he could have done it alone. And that message through Coulson? I had a hunch. Can't be coincidence that she decides to leave now – right after Stark, who didn't know that she existed, decides to look for her. I hadn't anticipated her pulling the two of you to her. It was short notice, but my note was a warning to Stark to watch for any sign of her whereabouts, shelter her if she somehow made it to him. But hell no, you two decide to go after her. You've been a pain in the ass and one that, Hawkeye tells me, is here to stay."

"To you, I'm better off dead then. Tell me to my face that there was never a target painted on my back."

"Yeah, it would make things easier, but no, we don't kill every dumbass – hell, if that was the case, Stark would've been dead a long time ago. I am asking you to stand down, so don't tempt me, because I swear … " Fury didn't finish it, but the threat hung in the air, spread and sank deep.

Despite the height difference, Harry stepped closer. "Or you'll what?"

"Don't tempt me."

"How do you console yourself each night? How do you sleep well at all?"

"Who said I slept well?" Without another word, Fury side-stepped around Harry and went through the double doors guarding the end of the hall.

Harry didn't stop him and instead clenched his right hand, his wand hand. He was being left behind again and oh, how he hated the feeling.

Harry stood still in the silence for a moment, but then felt a phantom push from behind him and readied a _Finite_ at his fingertips, a scowl already on his face. Here was another pain in the arse. "You can stop that now. I know you're there."

Loki stepped around the corner, invisibility sloughing off. He pointed a finger at the doors that Fury had gone through and inquired, "Trying your hand with a tit for tat strategy? The execution could have been better, but overall … good."

That was the last straw. "Good? Good?! What the hell does that mean? Is this some part of a grand plan, you wanker?!"

Harry might have imagined it, but for a moment it looked like Loki was itching to defenestrate him, if windows were available. "Believe what you will."

"No. Hell no. I need more of an answer than that. You're not telling me something. There's more going on and I need to know. About Romanova, SHIELD and the Council, _everything_." With a better command of his spells than the last confrontation, Harry cast an Anti-Apparition Jinx over the entire hallway. He felt encouraged when Loki shifted from smug to cautious, but Harry was still a little nervous because Loki wasn't as angry as he should be considering how he was effectively trapped inside the Jinx.

"I came to warn you of another dark practitioner, but if you insist on a topic change, very well. You sequester information and yet, you accuse me as if I am the only guilty party?"

"You don't come off as very trustworthy – at least no one doubts my intentions. I am trying, but you can't expect me not to be suspicious of you."

"Point taken, but you have others to confide in. Or have you gathered all that is around you into a personal crusade? Orlendr, there is a long game and I am not the only player." He walked around and past Harry to try to go through the same door Fury did, but before he arrived at the doorway, Harry sent out a locking charm.

"Here I was trying to avoid more property damage," Loki declared, assessing the doors and once within arm's reach, snapped off the hinges.

_No, you are not walking away._

If something was going to be done about this, it had to be now. While Harry couldn't _Finite_ the area without losing the Anti-Apparition Jinx, he could tell that this was no copy. Illusions present or not, this was still the real Loki walking out.

Harry threw out _Petrificus Totalus_. The complexity of the spell cost him a second, a second too much as the spell was blocked when Loki swung the door behind him.

Harry immediately threw out a sticking charm at the door before Loki had let go and when the door shook, Harry knew it had worked. He couldn't see it, but he imagined a rare look of surprise on Loki's face. A _Portus_ trailed right after to complete the trap. The door, as well as Loki's figure, blinked in and out, disappearing and then reappearing in the same spot. Stuck in a loop, and further disorienting with every trip.

"Hard to get your bearings, isn't it? Maybe I'll never get as good as you, but I can certainly make the journey sickeningly wild." Harry had barely finished saying that, when the door winked from view and a familiar looking dagger was heading his way. He parried with a _Protego_ , sent the shield forward like a bullet and moved out of the way in case another knife was thrown. Disappointment marked his face when Loki side-stepped and avoided the counter.

Getting out of the trap had cost Loki. His hand was held in a tight fist, but Harry could make out a dark colored liquid in between the curled fingers. As for the door … Harry suspected it was somewhere in that extra-dimensional pocket with a bloody handprint.

"Tell me what I want to know and I won't ruin your pretty little plans," Harry threatened.

Loki called his bluff, scoffing and stepping back. "An ultimatum will not succeed. You are still disgustingly honest. I can see your conscious will not allow such a move. You may have silenced your mind from Granger and others like her, but your face – it still shows too much. You want answers but I loathe to give it to you."

"What? Does this have anything to do with your precious treaty? I haven't said anything. So what excuse, what reason do you have to play politics with me?!"

"We will start with politics then. The power behind blackmail is the correct use and timing of the information's release. I was mistaken in thinking you capable of manipulating it. You are a liability to me; what prevents someone from reading that information off your face with select and well-timed questions? I was informed that your body is unchanging, a teenager. Your emotions are still too raw."

"Really?" Harry asked sarcastically. "What do you call your little violent outburst about your parentage? And you're how old?" It had been an intentional low blow and he had been expecting a reaction, any reaction except for the calm response he received.

"A lapse in judgment which I have, as you can see, remedied, but mine is only a singular case against your many. I am certain you have little care for me, but let us extrapolate for a moment, what if it were battle strategies you were trying to conceal? Sensitive information? Secret identities?" Loki asked, relentlessly. "You still conduct yourself like a pawn on the board."

"I don't follow anyone!" Harry admitted to himself that yes, he was quick to anger sometimes, quick to jump into action. He had to grudgingly concede that in the past, he had been kept from key information until the last moment for a good reason. Until he learned Occlumency, he was practically an unintentional human sieve. But he refused to have these qualities remain obstacles, become reasons to deny him truth. Not again. Never again. "I can keep secrets, if that's your concern."

"You have not properly demonstrated this ability then."

"You haven't seen me try and you're going to have to take that chance." It didn't look like Harry was getting through. The truth worked for him before, it would have to work again now. "You lied, you know? I can't be that predictable, that easy to manipulate, otherwise you wouldn't spend so much effort … too much effort, I think. You want something from me. Tell me what I want to know and I won't _unintentionally_ ruin your pretty little plans – if not, I can personally guarantee that that is exactly what's going to happen. It'd make it easier on the both of us."

There was absolute truth in those words. Harry had been under _two_ master manipulators and they had more than a handful controlling him – and he was their main concern too.

"By the nine realms … " Loki shook his head in disapproval and sneered. "Mark my words, you and Thor must be stricken by the same illness. Listen, Orlendr, this is no longer about preserving the treaty, this technology boundary between Midgard and Asgard. That is only temporary; irrelevant once Midgard shifts from a pending to a more permanent member of the alliance, but for that, this realm cannot be divided so. This Council serves as the _de facto_ ruling body of Midgard and look how well it is governing. It has declined open discussion with Asgard all because its members insist on anonymity. News of this civil unrest must not reach the ears of the other realms – a civil conflict must be avoided; it will result in an automatic dismissal in the alliance. Furthermore, I cannot be seen to interfere. It is more advantageous that I appear impartial to Midgard's troubles."

Which couldn't be that hard for Loki in the first place, what with his attempt to take over earth bit. "But I can. This is unbelievable. You? Admitting a weakness? So I'm to do what you can't? Your – your errand boy?"

Loki showed his irritation with a sarcastic remark. "Do you depreciate yourself often?"

With monumental effort, Harry ignored that jab. "So you're busy doing things indirectly. This is where I come in … this all sounds – okay, I still don't trust you. Merlin, is this your way of fixing things you've broken? You invited an alien skull-robot army through the front door, opened a rift that's festered socially and politically - and now you want to patch it all up? As if you give a damn. Yes, I finally got a clearer picture in my head about your involvement. You can't switch sides that easily."

"My loyalties have remained where they always have been, which is _not_ necessarily on Midgard. Do not blame the shortcomings of humanity on me. Your race's insecurities, fears and prejudices … all of these are your own. If I had not brought them to the forefront, then another would have. I daresay someone is already continuing the work I had abandoned."

"From what I've seen, it looks like they're doing a much better job than you did back in New York."

"Is this an attempt to damage my pride? I was given only two days if I wanted the Chitauri army. I had to forego finesse and subtlety."

Harry really was not interested in discussing the best way to take over the world. "So? Who is it?"

"You may be correct about Fleegman's murderer: not human. Do you know of the álfar?"

"Elves?" _Did Tony lie to me again?_ "From reading, but I don't think I should rely on myths from a different world."

"There are two kinds, situated on opposite ends of Midgard."

"The _svartálfar_ too? But I got the impression that they were dwarves or something."

"An _álfr_ from Svartalfaheimr is no dwarf. Both had once been one race, and they battled here until Asgard declared this land neutral. Fleegman was executed, marks and method match the _álfar_ , whether from Alfheimr or Svartalfaheimr, I do not know."

"But you have a guess."

" _Svartálfar_ or the _dökkálfar_ – they are synonymous."

"According to legend, they were supposed to be underground metalsmiths. Doesn't this just fall into a stereotype? The dark or black elves being the bad guys? I mean why call yourself dark anything, it paints you as the bad guy automatically. So why do you think it's them? Dark magic?" Harry had tossed out what he thought was a wild guess. It wasn't as wild as he had thought. "It is? You sure about them?"

Loki didn't appreciate the sudden doubt and ignored it. "This is a typical male of that race."

An image appeared to the side, armored, tall and proud. Long white hair covered the head, a bit of it in a thin braid on the side, and light ash-gray skin over the face. Harry didn't miss the sharp claws and the sinewy fingers.

"Well that's hard to go around unnoticed unless … oh, this just got more difficult. They can look like us? This seems like it's enough to bring outside help."

"Asgard cannot act solely upon what appears to be speculation."

"And I take it we would look weak asking for assistance."

"Is it not fortuitous, you arriving unexpectedly into our midst with the power to nullify all illusions? The power to find anyone by name?"

Harry didn't believe in coincidence either.

"A small faction on Svartalfaheimr had staged a successful _coup d'état_. I wager that they secretly support the full use of dark magic, but they have no known open practitioners since the purge. Asgard and all the realms actively persecute all who wield it – with Svartalfaheimr, now I suspect, the exception. All practitioners, if identified, are hunted. There is only one outcome, an unequivocal sentence: death."

Harry digested that slowly. He knew already that there was a mutual agreement of silence between them, but he hadn't realized how hefty the personal consequence was. No amnesty, no clemency. "You have more to lose than me. This isn't about me being a loophole anymore, it's because Asgard doesn't know about me, isn't it? You and Thor are keeping mum about this." Harry smiled confidently. "Looks like I have another thing over you."

"True, but understand that if you betray this silence, you not only betray me, but yourself and endanger the others who have kept silent for you. Because you cannot see the effects of dark magic, you must rely on feeling them. This is your only proof, and it marks and damns you as a dark practitioner," Loki warned. "You cannot shield these people like I can. Will you sacrifice others to injure me?"

 _What a dick._ Harry's smugness died right there. Of course he wouldn't do it, but he wished it wasn't so obvious to Loki.

"Are you finished discussing about our mutual destruction? Yes? Good. Now, once a recognized member, Midgard can receive arms and a more relaxed information trade from any of the other realms, but there is one main obstacle. The controlling _svartálfar_ faction does not recognize Midgard as a legitimate state and are most vocal against its inclusion into the alliance."

Harry wished that his Hermione was here. She was the politician. "So ... the _svartálfar_ aren't comfortable with a strong neighbor? Sounds like undermining Tony's image was a move to destabilize public faith and to exclude earth from trade. I'm guessing they're not done with their work, but what would they gain from this? I can see earth having strategic value if it really does sit in the middle of all the realms, but they can't occupy earth right? And we can't possibly be threatening to them."

"Dark magic," Loki responded. "A worthy prize in the eyes of the _svartálfar_ in exchange for weakening Midgard."

Harry turned over in his head that little bit of insight. "Who would be in a position to offer that? The only one you're worried about is this enemy you mentioned yesterday night. He's the one?"

"He and the current Svartálfaheimr would make natural allies. It was he, who bestowed upon me ancient knowledge, regarding the Tesseract. It can be a dark tool to open doors, far beyond Midgard. Another portal cannot be easily opened again to reach the Tesseract, and so he must utilize another avenue: Svartálfaheimr. Unfortunately I cannot tell you his name, I do not know it. A shame, really."

 _Of course, knowing the name would make things too easy wouldn't it?_ Harry griped inside his head. "He can find others who use dark magic then… he can find us too."

" _If the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you,_ " Loki spoke from memory. "Such endearing, promising words from the one known only as the Other, his lieutenant. He constantly reeks of dark magic. Perhaps you can locate him?"

Harry jumped when the image of what looked like a dressed-up mummified corpse stood before him. "That's him?! What kind of name is the Other? He looks like he should drop dead."

"If only. Well?"

"You should learn to ask nicely," Harry responded, summoning the tree branch he had thrown away in a trash bin in his room. The door slid open and a stick swerved around and through the doorway into Harry's hand. He commanded the piece of wood to find this person named the Other.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't work as the stick spun round and round.

"Try Chthon," Loki suggested. "I had overheard his Master calling him by that name once."

Harry wasn't expecting it when the stick pointed up, 2 o'clock position.

Loki faced up and seemed to squint, and then to Harry's puzzlement, his eyes began to move away from the direction the stick was pointing.

"Where are you looking?"

"Space is not linear, it curves," was the curt reply. "He is farther than my eyes can see, but you have dowsed in the direction of, not water, but Svartálfaheimr. I need to consult with Heimdallr, our sentry, though I am uncertain how much he can contribute. That realm sits at the edge of his ... blind spot."

"So is Chthon the one you've been looking for on earth?"

"No, Chthon is too steeped in dark magic, too much hubris, to conceal himself from me. The one here is weaker and vanishes every time I am on Midgard. He is here enough to wreak havoc on the humans though."

"This all seems redundant - a bit mundane too. Why bother making people like Tony look bad, if half the public already thinks he's not safe? Was it to get him so unpopular that even the Council would kill him? I heard that he's already a target for assassination – and also someone by the name of Rogers, it'll make them martyrs … " Harry paused as he realized something, "oh… you think the Council is involved too."

"No, I was not aware of this decision on those two – yours was a given, of course. I only discovered that Extremis was stolen by the Council, which is another destabilizing force. These are not coincidences. If the most public figures in the Avengers team are killed, would it not provoke more people into action? The Council, whomever they may be, are not imbeciles. They must know; we must assume this is intentional."

"This all sounds like a conspiracy theory." Harry sighed at all the things that were going on in the background, but he knew better than to underestimate it. All he had to do was remember Voldemort's campaign to control the British wizarding world and how that had forced the resistance to go underground.

"Were you expecting an army to march out from the abyss as an opening move? Rather inelegant. What would you say if I admit this is a similar course of action I would have taken to destabilize Midgard and any individuals strong enough to resist, given a set amount of material resources and ample time? A multi-pronged approach to collapse an entire realm from the inside, rendering it incapable of properly mounting a defense."

"You really thought this through, didn't you? Do you think about this stuff frequently, in your spare time?" Harry asked, sardonically.

"A former school of thought – but still a rather useful thought exercise."

"Sure, world domination. Everyone's doing it, why not? In fact, I've been at the butt end of a wide-scale campaign to take over the wizarding world, complete with accusations of incitement of public panic – all courtesy of a psychopath everyone else thought dead." Harry had settled a heavy gaze on Loki when he had uttered the word _psychopath_.

"Oh? And the result?"

"We won, after several isolated attacks over the course of the last seven years," Harry dryly answered. "We were fortunate it hadn't gone to a global scale yet, limited to the U.K."

"He or she tipped his hand so soon, on such a small scale? How uninspired," Loki deplored of the outcome and then amended it with a solemn, "but fortunate."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that except with, "He, not she, was paranoid and going mental." Harry didn't think the wizarding population would have survived if Voldemort had been any more _inspired_. Actually this entire conversation had turned weird and disturbing. Steering back to a more relevant topic, Harry cleared his throat and asked, "And Romanova? Whose side is she really on?"

"Whichever side Agent Clinton Francis Barton is on."

"Wait - did you just give me Hawkeye's name? And that's all you have to say about her? You sounded like you had a personal agenda against her."

"I can assure you that if I had one, I would not employ you."

Harry was getting better at this. Loki had said he had the ability to assure, but didn't directly deny the grudge. "Why'd you tell me to be friendly with Barton then? She's not going to stop trying to kill me. That's just childish."

Loki seemed to agree. "Yes, incomprehensible, isn't it?"

Something about that question made Harry pause. Even though he had said the idea was childish, he couldn't bring himself to agree.

"The advice still stands, but somehow the circumstances have altered slightly," Loki declared. "She is strangely unsettled."

"What are you talking about? She looked in control to me."

"You do not know her as Barton does. Come. You seek more answers? You will have it first-hand," Loki said before he took one step back, across the Jinx's threshold and disappeared.

He sensed Loki was still close by, somewhere in the facility. Harry went through the broken doorway, farther into the hallway, and searched around. He slowed his steps when he passed by an ordinary door, the door to the conference room.

Harry pressed his ear to the door and couldn't hear anything. He took a chance and opened it – and froze as he was met with the form of Hermione entering from the side.

Oddly, Tony was there too … sitting on top of the bookshelves that lined the back wall. Tony waved with a grin on his face. The ceiling was barely tall enough to give Tony a few inches from the top of his head. Loki was standing right below Tony, with an expectant look directed towards Harry.

Harry looked at first at Hermione, who was checking the electronic equipment in the room, and then to Tony and Loki. Tony was snapping his fingers and gesturing to Harry to hurry up and get over there. Harry walked to them and realized that strangely, Hermione had not turned to him or Tony; she was busy inspecting the room and firmly believing that she was alone. He wondered how Hermione could be so oblivious to the presences of others, but maybe that was because she was trying not to offend anybody else … or something Loki had done on top of his illusion.

"You're in time for the show," Tony said. He jerked his thumb to the empty spot next to him to signal Harry to sit with him.

Fury then walked in from the side door Hermione had used earlier. Harry had to plaster himself against the wall when Fury passed by him to sit at the head of the table.

"Finally, all necessary parties are present," Loki declared. "I will take my leave."

"What?" Harry was torn on whether he should follow or stay and listen in on this obviously secret meeting. _Damn Loki._ "The game's bigger than this," Harry whispered, conveying that this conversation wasn't over.

"With your involvement, it certainly is. Speak with me again, when that itch of curiosity from your dreams become too great."

How much did this bastard know? The itch was unbearable now. "Later tonight then."

"Guys," Tony interrupted from above, "you know people are going to talk, what with all your nightly rendezvous, right?"

Harry just couldn't understand how Tony's mind worked. "How the hell do you come up with this stuff?"

"It's a talent," was Tony's modest reply.

"Down to business, if you will," Loki instructed. To Tony, he advised, "Now, do not throw objects at these two if you disapprove with what they say. It defeats the point of stealth."

Tony snorted. "I'll have you know I can disappear like Angus MacGyver. Look here, I'm even carrying a pocket knife and duct tape." A Swiss Army knife and a small roll of duct tape were palmed in Tony's hand.

Loki had ample practice ignoring Tony's boasts. "Kindly inform me of new developments afterwards."

As a childish gesture, Tony responded by throwing something wrapped in yellow paper at Loki. Whatever it was, Loki had caught it and glared at it with mild disgust before disappearing again.

Tony looked down at Harry then, and asked, "So are you going to join me? There's going to be some juicy gossip, for sure. I promise I won't tell Pepper of our secret date – " Tony glanced at Fury and Hermione. "Double date."

"I don't know if I'm just that tired or I'm becoming accustomed to your brand of humor," Harry admitted with a sigh. He couldn't think of anything else to say and popped next to Tony, crouched so he didn't bump his head on the ceiling. Harry swung his legs over the edge of the bookshelf while Tony stuck out his hand, holding another lump packaged in yellow paper.

"Hungry?"

Harry's mouth salivated instantly when he realized it was a burger. It wasn't his normal diet, but to hell with it, he was starving. Anything would do.

"I got you one with no cheese," Tony said.

Harry ate through half of it, before saying, "I like cheese, just not the ones usually found on burgers. And thank you."

"Yeah, pay me back with some bangers and mash – that sounds provocative, doesn't it?"

Harry just kept his mouth shut. He also didn't agree with the request; he knew a place that served a decent plate of sausages and mashed potatoes in London – his London – so it was probably a safe bet that it existed here, but how was he supposed to get there without flying on another plane? He just shrugged and asked, "So what brings you here? And how does Hermione not know you're behind her?"

"Oh, you should have seen us meet. When I found out that she wasn't just a hacker, but a mind-hacker as well, heh, let's just say I challenged her to look in my mind one more time. She's not going anywhere near my head anytime soon," Tony said proudly.

Harry had to seriously ask himself, if he really wanted to know what Hermione had seen. "And why are you here? You don't have to be here to know what's going on inside. JARVIS could tell you."

"I was offered front row seats to a private show. How can I pass that up? Now shush, the movie's starting." When Harry opened his mouth, Tony cried out, "Don't you know it's rude to talk during a movie?"

Harry held back his reply and turned back to Fury and Hermione. The show was starting.

"How secure is this room?" Hermione asked, already seated, eyes still searching all around the room.

"Enough," Fury replied.

Harry heard Tony snickering on the side, because apparently the room wasn't secure enough to keep them out.

Hermione nodded, satisfied and then went straight into business. "I have reason to believe that the Council is planning an assassination. I suggest placing Steven Rogers and Anthony Stark under protective detail."

"Aww hell no," Tony disagreed, completely contradicting his "No talking" rule. Spontaneously, Tony chucked a French fry at the two below. Harry summoned it back with a glare at Tony. While Tony might have some hidden recording devices, Harry didn't and he wanted to learn as much as possible without Tony ruining the opportunity.

Tony just kept blabbing. "They can keep that walking, talking 90-year old Spangled Banner locked up for protection but not me. I say bring it! It'll be fun, like a house party –"

Harry sent the fry back at Tony with a _waddiwasi_. It would have gone up Tony's nose, if Tony hadn't caught it. Harry focused back on Hermione.

"Their movements lately have been more than suspicious, particularly in regards to nanotech," she said.

"Extremis," Fury replied.

"Yes, they confiscated it from AIM, but that's not the only issue. It's what they've been doing with it. Experimenting on agents, to make a team of Extremis operatives, but I don't know why they've chosen this route when AIM hadn't been able to perfect it. It certainly is much easier to control when you have a group of people who are dependent on a steady dose of the virus, but only a small fraction of the recipients survive, 2.5%. They've gotten their hands on some posthumans as well … it's zero for us. You've noticed a number of us disappearing, haven't you? There's your answer."

"Wait, what about us?" Tony asked to no one.

"What about the Avengers Initiative?" Fury asked, unknowingly repeating Tony's question.

Hermione crossed her arms. "The Council was never on board with the Avengers Initiative; Extremis is the substitute for your dream team. The Avengers was humored while it was on paper and was brought to reality only because you pushed it behind the Council's back. A dysfunctional team of people who have never worked together, never trained together, never seen each other narrowly saving earth. Who would have foreseen that? And would anyone bet that the same fluke would happen again?"

"I would," Tony whispered.

"Shut it," Harry whispered back. His head turned at the moving door handle on the side of the room.

Agent Barton entered from the door Harry had gone through. Hermione avoided looking at the agent and spoke again as if Barton had been there the entire time. "I don't have to read your mind to know that you've been considering a separation from the Council."

Fury didn't say anything in response.

Hermione pushed, "It's no secret from me. I'll help you break off from them."

It was Barton who answered. "You want to help after weakening our organization?"

Hermione uncrossed her arms and placed them under the table, eyes turned away. "If this is about Romanova's identity, the more people who know about her the better - "

Barton cut her off. "She's our top espionage specialist and you just out-ed her like that?"

And with that said, Harry started to wonder if Barton had been acting and pretending to be troubled back when they were underground. Had Barton known about Romanova's mission from the beginning?

"She shouldn't be trusted so highly in the first place!" Hermione argued. "After almost forty years as an enemy, half of it in the service of the former U.S.S.R. I might add, and within two decades, she's ranked higher than you or Coulson, and both of you have more seniority in SHIELD than her. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Fury wasn't too surprised by the news. "That she's favored by the Council. Tell me something I don't know. She's perfect to lead them along, that's where her expertise lie. You think I don't know what I'm doing?"

"You've been waiting for the Council to call on her?" Hermione shook her head in frustration. "She's not stable; she never was! You haven't been inside her head."

"And how deep have you gone?" Fury asked.

Hermione flinched, her eyes haunted, and admitted with a shaky voice, "Not so far, not without getting lost."

Fury looked relieved and said, "Well, she'd make a poor double agent if she couldn't go around a telepath."

"How do you know she won't betray you?" she demanded.

"She's been with us for twenty years, like you said. I think I'll hold on to a little faith," Fury replied easily.

"You don't understand. It's too much trauma. She's convinced you that she's fit for any mission, but she's not. You have all your past buried and set aside, but for her, it's too close to the surface. I know enough to know that she needs to be pulled out. Besides, the only one who can have that _faith_ isn't you." Hermione then turned from Fury to Barton and claimed, "It's you."

Barton frowned at where the conversation was going. He shook his head to disagree. "She won't do that for me."

"Agent Barton, how else do you think she tricked Loki back on the Helicarrier? She did it with the truth!"

"She wouldn't have made the deal!"

"She didn't have to, but it doesn't mean she wouldn't if left with no other option."

"I'm telling you, she won't."

"Won't? Not wouldn't? Something's happened between then and now, hasn't it?"

"She won't, because I asked her not to," Barton grounded out. "On the off chance she was actually serious about it – which she's not."

"So you want us to fall back on a verbal agreement?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know what else you want me to tell you! You've clearly made up your mind."

Fury held out both his hands, as if keeping Hermione and Barton separate. "Shut your mouths, the both of you. Agent Barton, what do you think should be done?"

"Well, sir, to be frank, I'd like to have been informed of Agent Romanova's presence in Manhattan and her status as double agent beforehand. But that's not what you were asking, was it, sir?" Barton candidly responded. He breathed out audibly before admitting, "I can't deny that there's something wrong, but it's not her betraying us; she retreated too quickly. I know for certain that she has a spare sidearm. We only collected two and I know she regularly carries at least three. I don't know how, but for some reason, Harry's making her antsy."

_What? I'm the one who's unsettling her?_

"Harry, what did you do?" Tony asked.

"I didn't do anything to her," Harry responded.

Fury started talking again. "I can't call her back in. You know she maintains silence while out on missions. If she has the intent to turn traitor, it's too late to do anything about it now; she's already with them. But if she's still with us and I contact her now, the Council will know and that may put her in more danger."

Harry turned back to Tony. "Do you trust Romanova?"

Tony crumpled another burger wrapper to think about it. "Well, I don't know. I didn't know she had that much baggage. And while I think she's incredible whoopin' alien ass, we did meet while she was undercover spying on me. It's a little strange saying that I'd trust her to cover my back, but yeah I think I do."

Harry confessed, "Even hearing this, I still don't," and then quietly turned back to the people below.

"What if I say no … to all this?" Fury challenged.

Hermione was quick to answer, "Then I'll bring it up to Stark. He won't be able to resist. But I know I won't have to because you've already started making moves against the Council."

"I was wondering why you decided to leave now. You must have been aware of Extremis for a while. Stark was the back-up plan?"

"Everyone – even me – didn't think he could break through our system. It looked like he only accessed my cover files, but he had to have gone deeper. He had to know somehow I was alive, because why bother looking for a girl who died years ago? He has the resources, the drive to go against the Council, and the capability to provide me protection if I decide to break away from the Council. He may be part of the Avengers Initiative, but he's not a member of SHIELD."

There was a little tingling feeling going down Harry's spine upon hearing the effects of his actions. Without him, Tony would never be made aware. Despite what Fury believed, Hermione may not be here either if not for Harry.

"He's not a Samaritan." Fury conveniently left out Harry's involvement.

Hermione gave a small laugh. "I wasn't looking for one. If I was, I'd be going to Rogers. I can personally offer Stark my skills. Plus, he'd be interested in knowing that the Council was asking me for a physical location to JARVIS."

"Did you tell them?" Fury asked.

If a needle was dropped across the room, Harry was certain he'd be able to hear it. Everyone's breathing had stopped, in particular Tony's.

"I lied and said that it was stored in Stark's main Iron Man suit. Impossible to steal without Stark's knowledge."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief.

"JARVIS is _not_ in a secure location?" Harry asked hesitantly, Tony's earlier nervousness still lingering.

"He's safe, more or less." Tony turned and after a shrewd look directed at Harry, elaborated, "JARVIS 1.0 was a supercomputer located under my Malibu house. He's not there anymore, well, not all of him, the sixth version of him is …" Tony trailed off, shrugged and glanced up. "Pepper liked the idea of a guardian angel."

It took one second for Harry to guess what Tony meant. "JARVIS is in space?"

"Well, a network of satellites and ground-based servers. Made sense to me at the time: very low probability of catastrophic failure if he's spread out and unreachable – he doesn't exist in one particular place, so he's fine even if a part fails. He's powered by the arc reactor if solar energy is insufficient, low temperature of space is great for superconductivity, and the network covers the entire globe, yeah."

Harry didn't know everything Tony said, but he was in agreement that JARVIS was more or less safe. Why would someone want JARVIS? Harry had worked out that the A.I. was valuable, but for what specific purpose?

Fury answered Harry's question. "The Council wasn't thrilled that Stark partially controls the Cube."

"You mean JARVIS and this facility," Hermione corrected.

"Same thing," Fury replied. After a moment's pause, he asked, "You're trading one caretaker for another. You realize that, don't you?"

"Caretaker? I'd like to think of it as … mutualism. And how is this different from the arrangement between Banner and Stark? This is only temporary, I aim to bring down the Council – that's it and then I can be on my way. At least I know Stark's not going to murder my parents, if they were still alive."

Harry couldn't believe the careless way she had dropped that information bomb.

"Was it really the Council?" Fury finally asked.

"A grave suspicion from little things I've gathered over the years, nothing direct."

Fury leaned closer. "Do you know exactly what you're asking? What this will take? On top of that, I might have _another_ alien invasion to take care of. This time fucking elves."

 _That reminds me_ … Harry glared at Tony, who only stared confusedly back. "You said there were no elves."

"Fury's serious?" Tony asked back. "I didn't know! To be fair, I didn't say they didn't exist."

Harry pressed on. "If the other realms exist, then don't you think there're elves?"

"What are you talking about? There was a huge-ass dossier that Thor had given us about the other realms. It actually took me two nights to get through that monster. No mention of elves."

"The _álfar_ ring a bell?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Harry sighed. No wonder Tony didn't know and Bruce had paused to think about that question back in the kitchen. "An _álfr_ means elf. You're telling me that dossier didn't have pictures?"

"Yeah, moving pictures – that I had JARVIS watch – but I can read stuff faster than staring at something going at a set pace! Besides, how was I supposed to know that they had pointed ears under all that hair?"

Harry gave up and turned back to what Hermione was saying.

"Yes, this is going to happen," she affirmed. "It'll be faster with SHIELD on board and … I bring the rest of _us_ to the table." Hermione slipped out a necklace she had been wearing under her shirt. She slid it across to Fury. It was a flash drive tied to a lanyard. "They're all here. Only copy, I made sure of it."

Harry straightened and leaned closer at the mention of others like her.

Barton wasn't impressed. "We already have super enhanced humans on the payroll."

"You need more people. Half of your organization would side with the Council – at least at first – I can help you find out which ones. Besides there's more variety to us than what's represented by your agents. I helped hide the more special ones from SHIELD, at least the more conspicuous ones."

"What are we talking about here?" Barton asked.

"Teleportation, Telekinetic, Pyrokinetic, etcetera … there's one some of us call a precog, Diana, but I don't believe it."

Harry almost fell off, leaning forward so much. _This is it._ _Maybe there are Prophecies here, a lead, a clue into this maddening circle between death and destiny._ All the instances where a Prophecy was broken depended on if one can ignore the message, to ignore the almost overpowering urge to save yourself. Voldemort had failed, Oedipus's father had failed, and the fictional Macbeth as well. Harry was determined to prove will stronger than fate by finding this Diana.

Fury shook his head, disagreeing with the idea. "We're still severely crippled even with the extra manpower – untrained manpower. I should also point out that all resources, money, political networks all lie within their hands. They know who we are and we know nothing of them, only an image on the screen that I know aren't their real faces – "

And then Harry couldn't hear anymore as Tony howled with laughter. With a _Silencio_ on his fingertips, Harry had to change course and summon the wrappers that Tony had accidentally knocked off.

"Oh, wow I haven't laughed like that since … well activating JARVIS for the first time. Ah, this is perfect! We so have SHIELD covered. I need a good camera when I break the news to Fury." Tony swept his hand in front of him like he was reading a billboard sign and said, "Tony Stark: Owner of SHIELD."

"I'm sorry?" Harry just could not imagine it.

"Be Fury's boss. You know that _joint_ _venture_? It's a partial merger of Stark Industries, AIM, and HAMMER Industries. Stocks from HAMMER dropped ridiculously after Brian was sent to prison. We were once all contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense, but now we'll back SHIELD. Conventional weaponry from HAMMER, biotech from AIM, and high tech toys from me," Tony happily concluded.

Harry thought there was something missing. "And the political network?"

"Pssh, money and power equal politics. Public opinion though, hmm … can't be too hard convincing Captain Planet to run for office. Mr. President Steven Rogers, yeah, and then he can appoint me Secretary of Defense. I've been pestering Stern ever since that subpoena. I have it all worked out."

Harry dismissed all this as one of Tony's fantasies. "I just don't see you doing very much … defending."

"Why do people doubt my sincere wishes for world peace?"

"Is that what you call it?" Harry shot back before paying attention back onto Hermione.

"The posthuman population is growing restless, itching for a fight the more they're exposed. First it was the Avengers, which galvanized the ones, who didn't want to stay quiet under SHIELD anymore, to be more open. There were all these eyewitness reports but no video, and now Harry got himself caught on camera phone – you've seen the protests and rallies on the news. Superhuman is the gentlest term out there; it's usually mutant or my favorite, freak. People don't know what to do with us. If that bill passes, they'll call for registration and names to be released into the public domain."

Harry always imagined what it would be like for muggle and wizard to coexist together. It had failed in the past, mistakes made from both sides, but now? "Tony, you're known to the public aren't you? You're not getting harassed that much. Isn't that a good sign?"

"Well it's me and Steve. We're pretty much protected by our fan base. Well more him than me. I can afford the security … and Steve, well who doesn't love him? He's the old-fashioned gentleman."

Tony must be able to handle his fans very well then, because Harry knew first-hand how adoration from fame could quickly sour into blame and doubt.

"The government's not thrilled with me. It all started when I illegally flew back into Afghanistan air space … and blew up some stuff – and people." Tony acted as if he had not seen Harry's surprise and continued, "Pepper had a field day handling the PR for that. Rhodey, my inside man in the Air Force, keeps the Department of Defense off my back – sort of. I've been getting an increasing number of calls from NSA lately about JARVIS. So normal."

That wasn't normal, Harry thought in disbelief. "But what do you think will happen? Do you think an open society is a good idea?"

"I don't know, but I can see SHIELD supporting the bill and the rest of us … probably not. It takes a lot to hide a whole bunch of people from the world. It wasn't so bad when that was all SHIELD did, but maintaining this secrecy seems too much of a goal when there are other things to focus on. It's not like the MIB with their neuralizers."

Harry returned a blank look.

"Aw, come on! You know the movie? The things that make you forget with a flash of light and replace memories?"

Didn't that sound like the Obliviators from the Ministry, when muggles accidentally learn about magic? "Anyway, I may have some ideas to ease the transition. I'll tell you later, I might need your help on something."

Harry had just finished saying that when Hermione dished out one last secret. "You're the oldest member of SHIELD, Director – one of its first members. You have a personal stake in this too."

"What?" Tony blurted, speechless. "Damn, I should have known. He had all of my old man's stuff, and now that I think about it, talked like he knew him when he was alive too. Is _everyone_ older than what I think they are?"

Old. Old. That kicked Harry's mind back to the SHIELD archives, where old files were kept. "I'm going to get something. So save my spot."

"Uh huh," Tony muttered noncommittally, busy dipping another fry in the ketchup.

Harry Apparated back to Tony's Malibu Point mansion, summoned Coulson's black duffel bag and then with a quick nod to DUM-E, Disapparated to SHIELD's Archives. Harry was thrust back into the darkened room, stumbling on a cardboard box in his blindness. He illuminated the file room with _Lumos_ and then proceeded to enchant the bag, giving it space inside it didn't normally have. He was only interested in some of these files, but he convinced himself that it couldn't hurt to take them all.

"Pack," Harry ordered, remembering the common household charm. All at once, the folders on the shelves, in the boxes and on the floor hovered in the air and crowded together to toss themselves inside the opened bag. Satisfied with the complete and utterly shameless theft of SHIELD's records, Harry popped out and back onto the bookshelf next to Tony, bag neatly on his lap.

"Did I miss anything?" Harry asked.

"Not much. She's just explaining what happened underground. Wish there had been a fast-forward button. And uh, Fury agreed, so Operation Stoned Council is a go!"

Harry looked down to see that Barton had left and the remaining two were getting up from their seats to leave. He started opening the bag but then paused to listen when the conversation topic turned to him.

"How'd you manage to hide him all this time?" Hermione questioned Fury. "I'm sure the Council is scrambling to neutralize him. He's too much to control."

"He appeared about five days ago and he kept a low enough profile – " Fury started but then stopped to add, " – or did."

Hermione stopped in front of the doors and asked incredulously, "He just appeared out of the blue?"

"According to Stark. Would you believe the multi-verse theory?"

"Harry, you're famous now," Tony whispered, as an aside to Harry.

"I was already," Harry muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Harry lied and turned back to listen to Hermione's reaction.

Hermione shook her head and said, "You're kidding."

Fury stared back. "I wish I was. Stranded, I heard."

"I was wondering how he can do all those things. This still doesn't change our problems," Hermione stated before she and Fury walked out of the room.

"Five days?" Harry queried, not realizing it had been that long – or really that short.

"Morgue remember?" Tony reminded. "SHIELD probably rushed your autopsy and arranged the burial, instead of the standard cremation. Normally it takes - "

"Don't remind me - and wait, why didn't you get me sooner?"

"Sure, blame me for everything. Look John Doe 4134, I'll risk grave robbing in the middle of the night with low security than inside a morgue where there's always people. JARVIS can handle the surveillance cams and security, but not eye witnesses and the handy cell phone camera. YouTube already has videos of me drunk dancing and streaking. Pepper would kill me if there was one where it looked like I was into necrophilia."

Harry didn't comment and instead placed the black bag next to him and stuck his hand inside. Recalling a specific name and simply for curiosity's sake, he called on a particular folder: _Steven Grant Rogers._ As soon as he pulled it out, Tony tried to swipe the bag, amazed by the bag's capacity, but Harry deftly moved it out of the way. Noticing Tony's new interest in the folder, Harry held it out to him instead.

"I don't like being handed things."

"What, why?"

"I just don't."

"You shook my hand, so what exactly is the problem?"

Tony didn't want to admit it, but said, "I saw you wash your hands right before that."

Harry blinked, wondering if Tony had an irrational aversion to germs or something like it. "I took a shower and got all that sewer filth off." When Tony frowned to make his point, Harry rolled his eyes and set the folder between them. Tony hurriedly snatched it up.

"Do you know Fury's first name?" Harry asked, the bag's opening up to his shoulder.

"Huh?" Tony asked, still overwhelmed by the fact that Fury had worked with his father. "The Godfather, down there? It's Nicholas."

Harry felt that folder slide up his hand. He placed this right beside Tony as well. He called upon Romanova's file next. This one he kept. And finally – because he recognized that look on Tony's face when the man had referenced his own father, hadn't Harry worn it often enough? – he fished for the folder named _Howard Anthony Walter Stark_.

"When you're done with those, I'd like to discuss some renovation ideas," Harry said, pulling out the folder.

More words were supposed to follow, but Harry paused as he noticed the sudden change in Tony. Harry could see Tony's bright eyes become rigid and his mouth tightening in the corners. More importantly, was Tony's hand sliding forward, palm up. Upon placing the folder in Tony's waiting hand, Harry didn't hear any word of thanks, but he felt it from the silence and the flick, flick of paper.

Not mentioning how Tony had just accepted something that was handed to him, Harry maintained the silence; he had some reading to do.

Harry fished for another set of documents. This time, building information he had seen when these folders had passed him, before flinging themselves into the bag. One by one he stacked them on his lap.

He sighed at the workload and then stretched and cracked the joints in his arms before diving into his latest multi-day project: applying Fidelius and mapping out a Floo network for SHIELD.

Untraceable, invisible, effectively intangible even if everyone in the world knew of its location, as long as they were not told by the Secret Keepers. A safe haven to gather people, maybe include the ones Hermione had referred to, especially this Diana. Neville too.

And with this decision, he thought he felt a faint stirring around him. It reminded him of the fact that he didn't know much at all. Here he was in a different world, trying to chase down fate, and what he was discovering was unnerving him. First it was resurrection, then the small bush that was once his wand, and soon, Harry knew, invisibility would follow. What was happening? Be it his imagination or something real, he wondered – plagued by the idea – if he was unwittingly following a planned destiny while trying to fight Destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of talking in this one, but it explains some things and sets up future scenes. Harry needed a more solid understanding before going off on his own again and getting into more trouble - I mean, adventures.  
> In the comics, the Other is only a host to Chthon, an expert in black magic. I've made these two the same person in this story. I'm also very interested if the next Thor movie share the same dark energy idea as this story. The dark elves just fit here so nicely.  
> There're more familiar faces for Harry to meet. Guess who's Diana?  
> In transcripts of one of Rowling's interviews, she admits that the difference between a wizard and squib/muggle is genetically based; Rowling specifically uses the word "gene," a strictly biological term and definitely in the realm of science. :) This is why it's so easy to bring the counterparts of Harry's friends as posthumans or mutants.  
> Someone asked why Harry used Expelliarmus in the last chapter. I could be incorrect in how the spell works, but I thought if you don't have a weapon in your hands then the spell is ineffective. If Harry had hit Barton accidentally (very possible since he was fighting with Natasha), then there would be no negative consequence.


	20. Push and Pull

Chapter 20: Push and Pull

* * *

Tony had left Harry alone an hour ago – helped by the fact that Harry had finally given the bag containing SHIELD's archive over to Tony – but it did give Harry time to test out some more defensive charms and to begin looking around for suitable places to set up as points on the Floo network. This was how Agent Coulson had found him, cleaning out a broom closet. In fact, Harry had dust in his hair and a bottle of glass cleaner still in one hand.

Harry kept his other hand still, kept it from nervously patting his pocket where the shrunken file on Romanova was in. He drew some comfort from knowing that if necessary, he could now keep some secrets safe, thanks to a special Unspeakable-level memory charm. It was the same charm that he had described to Tony back in his workshop basement. He hadn't liked reapplying it on himself, knowing that it would do more than shut his mouth, but would also change his behavior when the charm was activated. It was a necessary sacrifice, but he found the loss of control extremely unnerving.

Finally deciding that Romanova's file wasn't worth hiding, Harry placed the bottle back on its shelf and turned around. "Yes?"

"Mr. Potter, have You and Butterfingers been neglecting their duties?"

That wasn't what he'd thought the agent would ask. He had been expecting a question about the missing archive. "Er, no, I was trying to clean the room, since you don't have a fireplace." To a muggle, it shouldn't make sense. Harry watched for a reaction, anything, but was disappointed when Coulson only silently encouraged him to explain himself. Harry gave up and instead asked, "What're you doing here? Not looking for cleaning supplies are you?"

"No, Security Office, to see the Director."

"I thought it wasn't on this floor."

"And you're correct. I wanted to ask if you'd like to come as well."

"Why?" Harry asked, already suspicious about the offer.

"To talk about certain issues concerning you. Nothing bad, it should be beneficial to you. I'm suggesting a place for you here in SHIELD."

If Harry was still a teenager, he would have jumped at the chance like he had with the Order of the Phoenix, and though he felt appreciation – and damn this childish giddiness! – for this offer, it felt muted when he forced himself to think about what SHIELD represented.

"Fury made it very clear what he thinks of me."

"You're not a trained agent and that can cause some interference, but the job in Manhattan was done with minimal fuss. We collected the two you captured and placed in Stark's tower, the large population of canaries was unusual but not that extraordinary to explain away, and the plant life settled back down. Everything's covered with no casualties on our side: that's all I care about. It was a good job."

There was that fleeting feeling again. Harry just let it pass because dammit, he wasn't a boy anymore.  _Damn this body!_ He didn't need someone telling him he did a good job. Harry shook his head and protested, "SHIELD is a paramilitary organization and I'm sorry, but I'm  _not_  a soldier."

"Not a soldier, not like an agent, but an ally. It'd be a very similar setup to what Thor has with us. I don't think it would be very different than what you do now."

"Then why is it so important to you if nothing's really changed?"

"It encourages trust. Better communication - "

Harry was sure that answer was in response to all the sneaking around he had been doing.

"- and I care about cohesiveness, because I understand how important it is for people to work together and how easy for it all to break apart."

He couldn't argue with that – actually this conversation felt like it was tailor-made for him. With some irritation, Harry said, "You know exactly what to say to people, don't you?"

Coulson gave a little tired sigh. "I coordinate and evaluate teams; I hope what I say is the right thing. Yes, I'm trying my best to convince you, but I'll never force you."

Harry did want some things from SHIELD, but he had thought to bargain for them, not work for SHIELD.

He didn't want to work with anyone. He was fine on his own -

_Orlendr_.

Harry gasped as the word echoed inside his skull. He looked around, but the room was silent. He checked the strength of his Occlumency; it was still intact. For a moment he had thought it failed, something had breached his mental defenses – almost preferred it, because he'd have an excuse to be angry – but no, it had only been himself, the better part of himself.

He turned his head away in shame. That's right, he fit that  _Orlendr_  label perfectly. He had been an outsider from the beginning, but it was his own doing that he had remained that way. When had he taken their problems and made it his own? Hadn't he promised to himself that he would be careful? That he was neither young nor arrogant … and look what he was doing.

That wasn't right either. Look at what he'd  _done_. He'd kept his distance for decades.

After a long moment, Harry admitted, "I'll think about it. I want to know more details though."

"The details can be hashed out later, but I need to know if you're interested before we go in."

Harry frowned, and then stalled for time by clearing the center of the broom closet. On the outside, he pushed around the vacuum and floor waxer until nothing was on the back wall, while on the inside, he questioned whether it was a good idea to confront Fury again, but if he wanted to set up the Floo network and Fidelius quickly, the sooner the better. He crouched down and laid a hand on the floor, silently mouthing the incantation before he was surrounded by a slow pulse of green. He inspected his handiwork and didn't stand up until he was satisfied at how the spell settled into the room.

Steeling himself for the encounter, Harry turned around and nodded. "This is a tentative yes."

"Of course."

_Here we go again_.

Harry followed Coulson through the hallway and into the elevator. Inside, Coulson pulled out a small dark blue booklet and something else rubber-banded together. "Here."

Harry accepted the bundle. "This is a U.S. passport, a California driver's license … and bank accounts?"

"I thought you might need them. We've also established a paper trail for you. Born in England but a naturalized citizen living in California. You're here in New Mexico on a year-long internship with Dr. Foster."

"I don't know anything about her work – but alright. You also kept my name and it says here, I'm 21," Harry noted, grateful that it didn't represent him as a teenager. "But I still haven't said yes."

"I know," Coulson answered.

Harry watched his face before replying, "Thanks."

He didn't think he'd need these documents, but they were still nice to have – except for the bank accounts, those felt like SHIELD was paying him. Still … the other option would be to ask for money or forge it – and Harry wasn't enough of an arsehole to use counterfeit. He didn't ask if these were given to him to make SHIELD look better.  
Coulson added after a moment, "And one more thing, you could have returned my car."

Guilt flushed across Harry's face. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I can do that later. Do you want it back here or the air strip?"

"No need, it was returned to a nearby field office and I brought another here – and this one, don't touch."

Harry suppressed his grin. "Alright, I guess."  
Coulson frowned, not confident in Harry's light concession, but let it pass. "While you were in L.A., you went to the late Mr. Fleegman's house."

That wasn't a question. No point in denying it when Coulson's car had been parked so close to the house.

The elevator stopped and the door opened.

"Did you notice anything strange, other than the markings on the body?"

"Nothing else."

Coulson looked a little disappointed. "The estimated time of death was shortly before we flew here. We never saw Mr. Fleegman alive. We have quite a problem if our enemies can blend in with the populace – blend in with us."

The door for the elevator had been opened for some time now. It was only held open because Harry had stuck his foot out. "If they're illusions, I think I can help you with that."

* * *

Harry had the almost overbearing urge to pull out his own hair. Why did it feel like he was trying to move a mountain every time he talked to Fury?!

They had been standing outside of the Security Office for a good ten minutes already.

"I'm not too impressed with invisibility," Fury said doubtfully, standing like a sentinel.

Harry resisted rubbing his own face in frustration. "Not just invisibility! It's like a monopoly on certain pieces of information you own … or in this case, occupy. The affected site is also … " Harry struggled to describe it with non-magical terms, and just fell back to its effects instead. " … yes, there's invisibility but it's not because others can't see it so much as it's not there for others to see, touch, or talk about. It also doesn't take that knowledge from someone, it just makes it unusable … if that makes any sense to you." At the end there, Harry wasn't sure he was even getting through.

Fury stared at him with that one eye, trying to decide if Harry was in his right mind. He turned around and stepped back inside the office. "Coulson, Potter, in here."

Harry watched Fury's retreating back, his figure eventually swallowed up by the darkness inside. Harry didn't trust the room, he couldn't see what else was in there. Sensing his hesitation, Coulson entered first.

Harry closed his eyes before casting the sense-enhancing charm. He kept his eyes closed to avoid blinding himself from the brighter lights in the hallway. He did a quick check to make sure he didn't hear or smell anyone else inside the room before he relaxed a little. So far so good.

Once inside, the door slid shut. He opened his eyes to find a far wall of probably a hundred empty monitors, and when one by one they blinked rapidly to life, he removed the charm. It robbed him of his enhanced sight, but not before seeing Fury and Coulson walking together to the other side of the room. This room, it wasn't an office so much as a surveillance station. Once his eyes adjusted back to normal, he noticed they were standing with the monitors to their backs and faces away from the lights. Basically it was a way for them to see his face but not the other way around. Harry stayed near the door.

"I'm going to keep it simple, Potter." The next words were terse, a pause after each word, but together it was something not so simple. "What - do - you - want?"

That was an intentionally vague question. Harry also didn't like this setup either. He curled his fingers and allowed a flicker to grow in his hand. The  _Lumos_  rose up in the air, bright enough to light the entire room, bright enough to clearly see the two before him.  _Much better_. He could now see them. Fury's frown must be a permanent feature of his face, it was the only expression Harry ever saw on him. And Coulson was as unflappable as ever.

When Harry took too long to answer, Fury added, "I already know about what you  _think_  is here. Honestly, I find all this destiny talk utter bullshit - "

"Good to hear," Harry interjected.

" - what I don't get is why you're still here. You know there's a fight coming, but instead of thinking about it like a normal person and staying away, you jump right in. Why is that? Something ended where you came from, and I'm going to guess some kind of conflict, and then it finished … but you weren't finished with it. You're trying to prove something."

Was he that transparent? No, he wasn't going to do this. He didn't come here to talk about himself! In a low voice, Harry asked, "Is this a no?"

"When did I say that? I don't think I can afford to say no. You claim you can hide SHIELD, but anything given can be taken away, so excuse me if I want to know your motivations. I'm flying blind here."

Harry had to concede to his reasoning. He might as well try to explain all this. "Where I come from, everyone takes Prophecies seriously. I was born into one and as if it was all scripted, every event thereafter seemed fated to happen. I didn't think there were Prophecies here, but there are signs of one – and we can break it!"

"What signs?"

"There's a room we have that once contained all the Prophecies in small glass spheres. There's a characteristic heaviness that's only felt there – that was, until I felt it here. Once in Tony's house, the second time, it was right after boarding the plane, and the third one was today when I decided to implement the Fidelius and Floo network. It seems like I'm the only one who feels them."

There he said it. Now it was their turn.

"How convenient. You know how crazy this sounds?"

Harry didn't answer that. If he hadn't lived it, he'd probably agree. "If a Prophecy is really here, I want to find it before anyone gets the chance to hear it. I'm going to find it if it's here – with or without SHIELD."

Harry let the warning hang in the air.

"If I may interrupt," Coulson spoke up, "even if you're right, how do you know no one's heard it yet?"

Harry had hoped they wouldn't ask this. "I don't."

"So it may be too late?"

"It's never too late for damage control," Harry replied quietly. They wouldn't like his actual solution to Obliviate anyone who had heard it.

"From where, who or what would it be heard?"

"You don't have seers or prophets here, so I don't know where. Maybe you once had them and the prophecy's written down somewhere."

One flat stare from Fury and then an office chair was shoved towards Harry. It rolled to a stop right in front of Harry's feet.  _What does that mean?_

Fury pulled a chair for himself and sat down in it. "We can treat this like a business agreement. What do you want from us for concealing SHIELD? You want us to seriously consider this prophecy talk?"

Confident now, Harry said, "It'd be a good start. I also want any information on mythical gates, legends on death – and sphinxes." The last one he didn't think was that important but it had been in his dream.

Fury raised a single eyebrow at the list – the eyebrow not covered by his eye patch. "Sounds like you're grasping at straws, but if those are the kinds of things you're asking us to do, fine. You going to tell me what it all means?"

"When I have the answers."

"That list might take some time. You can't be more specific?"

"I'm sure it'll be a growing list," and without much thought, blurted out, " – and I want to talk to Diana. Is that specific enough?"

"Diana? You heard that - ? Why do I even bother with security?" Fury asked rhetorically.

Harry shrugged, his guilt over eavesdropping non-existent.

In the corner of his eye, Harry noticed something on one of the screens.  _Good grief_. It looked like a fight had just broken out in a hallway – between Tony and Barton. Tony was, of course, losing badly; clearly Barton wasn't trying to win and only attempting to restrain Tony, up until several pieces from the Iron Man suit flew around the corner to successfully capture the agent's right arm and leg. Tony finally slipped free from Barton's loose hold, got himself a piece of the suit, and raised an armored-covered foot at a door. A rather familiar door – in fact the one right behind Harry.

Harry turned around in time as the door behind him was kicked out of the doorway and straight into him. No way was he going to take it! He fired off an  _Impedimenta_  strong enough to send the door back, bowling over Tony with a satisfied smack. Barton reflexively moved around Tony to avoid the collision, impressive considering the way he staggered with the extra weight from the armor.

"Harry, you completely ruined my grand entrance."

"You were about to flatten me again. I returned the favor. You just didn't get out of the way in time."

Tony shoved the door off of him and picked himself up, a scowl directed at Fury. " _Not_  sorry for crashing this party, but I need to talk to you, alone and right now."

"Release Agent Hawkeye first," Fury ordered.

Tony gave Barton a sideways glance and by some unseen command, the pieces of the Iron Man suit automatically detached from the agent and flew away just as quickly as it had arrived.

Barton stood at the broken doorway for a moment before he watched his superiors and then entered as well.

Harry wasn't going to get in the way. This was something urgent between Tony and Fury, but he still wanted something from the Director of SHIELD. "My list?"  
"Granger will help you with that." Fury pointed outside the room and as if it had been a cue, Hermione stepped through the doorway.

_This is convenient._

* * *

"Harry, I didn't say this before, but thank you," Hermione quietly said. She had her eyes forward, conveniently away from him.

Harry didn't know specifically what she was thanking him for, but he replied, "You're welcome."

The two of them had left the Security Office to find a sitting room, leaving Tony and SHIELD to their own problems. Harry had given Fury a parchment detailing the Fidelius and Floo, including the recipe for the Floo powder, a recipe that required mundane ingredients. Its non-magical components the main reason why the powder was so cheap that every wizarding household could buy it. The trick was behind the spell, not the powder which only served as a signal. Fury was supposed to return to him a list of potential sites for the network no later than two days. In the meantime, Hermione would help him and maybe he'd be able to squeeze in a visit to England. Harry grimaced at the thought of another plane ride.

"I didn't see Fury contact you, so how did you … ?"

Hermione pointed to a well concealed ear piece. "It was Coulson, while you were occupied with the door."

"So they just tell you what to do now?"

Hermione scowled. "No, I just didn't see a problem with the request – and I told Coulson that I'd work with you, but if you don't want my help - "

Harry immediately corrected her. "I didn't say that."

They didn't find a sitting room, but a library. Harry had expected it to be filled with technical books, but when he saw books written in different languages, he reminded himself that this underground section hosted extraterrestrial guests. Harry sat down on a chair while Hermione took the seat across the low table. "Anyway, information gathering is what I do. I may not be able to dig up everything you want to know about … well, folktales, but I can try."

Harry gave a brief half-smile but then suddenly asked, "Why is Fury okay with you helping me? It's a little strange to have someone of your caliber searching for legends."

Hermione froze in surprise and then slowly admitted, "Because he wants me to search you."

Harry smirked. "Yea, I thought it was a little too easy and I'm guessing you didn't tell him that your ability doesn't work on me."

"He doesn't have to know. He can be anal about security, understandably, but… you're one of us now, she said, but then muttered to herself, "even if you're not from this universe."

Was it coincidence that befriending this Hermione also required a life-saving event? He was given another reminder of how events were falling together. He shifted in discomfort.

"Something bothering you?" Hermione's words cutting through his thoughts.

Harry looked down at his hands.  _Should I ask?_  He'd already been accused of being too obsessed in his own personal crusade – and what he was having SHIELD do was definitely done only for him. But he could no longer ignore the signs: his increased magical power and how he was becoming increasingly difficult for Tony to find him.

A stab of apprehension lodged in his chest. What if he was being led into this choice?  _No, better to be led with eyes wide open, than ignorant and blind._

"There's also something else I need you to look for," Harry finally said. He drew a symbol with his finger on the table. It was a triangle, a circle, and a line bisecting the two other shapes. The sign of the Hallows.

He sucked in a breath when he felt the weight of destiny again.  _There it is._  He had expected it this time, though it had been brief. He looked across the table to see Hermione studying the symbol and oblivious to what he had just felt.

"What is it?" she asked. "I've never seen it before."

"It's a symbol back home representing the Deathly Hallows, three objects of power. The triangle, or cloak, grants invisibility …" Harry felt like he was going to regret this. " - the ring allows one to see the phantoms of the deceased, and the last one is a wand, the most powerful of them."

Hermione stared at him. "What was that? That look you just did."

"I was expecting a certain reaction, you know, of disbelief."

"What are you talking about? This is only a legend that you want me to look for and Asgard uses  _magical_  terms all the time."

"The backstory is from a children's storybook, but the objects are  _real_."

She looked a little skeptical. "So you want me to find any information about a magical wand, an invisibility cloak, and a ring that makes you hallucinate?"

"No, not hallucinate!" Harry protested and then settled back down, disappointed. Hadn't he expected disbelief? "Never mind."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to do it. I just needed a better idea of what I'm looking for. I'll focus more on the symbol, since I think it's less likely to change over time than interpretations and meanings."

"Whatever you think is easiest. Oh, I wanted to ask you another thing. You can't mind-read the Asgardians can you?"

"I tried to on Thor and Loki," Hermione admitted. "They must have a defense against telepathy. It doesn't work on them."

"They  _allowed_  you to try it on them – ?"

"Of course not. They didn't know about me, until now."

"Is that true for all of them? All the aliens I mean."

She bit her lip, but then couldn't hold in the grin any longer. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Remember the two that you left in Stark's tower? One of them isn't human. But why are you asking?"

"Wanted to know if there was a quick way of finding these things out. Do you have access to Asgard's library? Database or whatever they call it."

There was a familiar spark in Hermione's eyes as he mentioned  _library_ , but then she laughed as if Harry had just told a lame joke. "I wish!"

"Records on history and culture, not technology."

"Oh you mean for that Hallows symbol. That may actually work. They just might let me take a look as long as it's not technology – and even if I can't, Jane may be able to."

Satisfied that he had options, he changed the topic. "So, who is this Diana?"

Hermione was very surprised. "You know about her?"

"No, but you do."

"Why should I tell you?"

Harry matched her stubbornness with his own. "It's part of the deal with Fury. I specifically asked to talk to her." Well, Fury didn't explicitly say yes, but he didn't say no either. Hermione didn't need to know that.

She looked like she was going to fight it, but then said, "Fine, there's not much on her; she mostly keeps to herself as the town's veterinarian. She says weird things sometimes and to the locals, they say that it comes true."

"What does she say?"

"Mostly vague things that any con-artist can say, strange comments here and there – a lot of it untrue – and if we were to test her babbling, it ultimately wouldn't pass a control threshold."

"Why is she an interest to you then, if you don't believe her predictions? Does she have another power?"

"Simply put, she talks to animals. They all respond to her as if they understand what she says."

This Diana didn't sound as gifted in divination as he had thought, but Harry asked for her full name anyway.

"Harry, it doesn't seem right to release her identity to you. Why do you want to talk to her?"

Harry didn't think it'd help him to point out that she had done exactly the same thing with Romanova's name. "Would you believe me if I say I want her to do a reading for me?"

"She's not a fortune teller. I'm serious. I need a better reason than that."

Harry finally recognized the protectiveness in Hermione. It wasn't stubbornness. "It's probably nothing, but  _please,_  let me talk with her. I won't draw unwanted attention to her," he promised.

Hermione sighed and covered her tired eyes. With her hand still over her eyes, she finally said, "Alright, Diana needs a visit anyway. It's hard to keep track of her because she likes to wander and it's rural - "

Harry's voice was tight. "Keep track?"

She frowned at him, feeling defensive. "I've been watching more closely because some of us have disappeared recently. Her name's Diana Lovecraft."

Harry discreetly tried locating Lovecraft with the tree branch he still had in his pocket.

Nothing.

"Do you know where she is?"

Hermione replied, "I thought you said you can find someone by name."

He did say that didn't he? Apparently there were limitations to his Point Me spell. "Does she go by any other name?"

"That's her birth name and she uses it. What other name do you need?"

"Nicknames? Or a pseudonym that means more to her than her real name."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know her personally, but I can tell you she's in Wiltshire, England."

That made him pause. Diana Lovecraft sounded eerily familiar. Could it be Luna? Both the names Luna and Diana are associated with the moon, and the last names are also similar to one another. While his Luna had grown up in Devon, Wiltshire wasn't far from there. Harry casted the charm again, but for Luna Lovecraft. The end of the stick rotated a quarter of a circle before dipping and pointing straight into the ground.

Another reason to go to England.

" – that's how you do it."

Harry finally noticed Hermione looking underneath the table and he felt embarrassed for trying to hide the spell in the first place.

"How does it work?" she asked.

"A name and face is usually enough for me to find someone."

"The mechanics of it?"

"None I can explain that you'd be familiar with."

Hermione didn't like that answer, but didn't push it. "Everyone from your universe can do this? No privacy concerns?"

"Well I'm the only one who can do this; I never shared it with anyone else – so no one's had a reason to complain." Suddenly an idea came to him – a pattern he was beginning to notice – and he couldn't resist asking, "Do you know of a Dennis Creevey?"

"Yes, I keep tabs on him too. How - ?"

"A Colin Creevey?" Harrys asked, a little hope in him.

"Yes, his older brother. They own a photography store. Why are you asking about them?"

So that was the pattern! Muggleborn witches and wizards retained the same names, but pureblooded ones didn't. And Colin – dear Merlin! – he was alive here. Of course he was, there was no wizarding war. If there was no wizarding war, what happened to …

"What about a Tom Marvolo Riddle?"

"None I know of."

There was no Tom Riddle? He had almost expected the existence of Riddle, but this was a relief. Harry wanted to ask about the other Riddles, but if they were muggles in his world and normal in this one, Hermione wouldn't know about them. Asking about the Gaunts wouldn't work because it was a pureblood name. It was also no use asking about the Weasleys for the exact same reason. Harry guessed it had something to do with how the pureblood families kept to themselves and preserved their names as opposed to the families here that had no pureblooded tendencies for strict tradition. The ones here had changed with time and probably merged with the rest of the human population.

He had one final line of questions. "And Lily Evans?"

"Yes, SHIELD knew about her – "

"And was she married?"

Hermione got a strange glint in her eyes. "Yes, to a James Porter. Who are these people to you?"

"Where are they? Lily and James Porter," Harry demanded, sitting at the edge of his seat.

"They're dead. I can tell you the cemetery."

Harry didn't believe it. He had thought this Hermione was dead and he wasn't going to be fooled again. "What if they're really alive, like what happened to you?"

"I didn't have any relatives to check on my  _body_ \- or what was left of it. It was a substitute and not easily identifiable. It's not the case with the Porters. James Porter died while serving in the British S.A.S. and Lily Porter was killed in a foreign civil conflict shortly after while working for the U.N. Their bodies were claimed and confirmed by the remaining family. They're really gone."

"Children?" Harry asked.

"One. Harrison, but deceased as well. An accident during a family vacation with his relatives."

"With the Dursleys?" Harry blurted out.

Hermione thought for a moment, before answering, "Yes, we didn't keep track of that family anymore after his death, but we do have records up to that point."

"How did he die?"

She had stopped asking him  _why_  anymore. "Drowned after falling through thin ice."

Harry's mouth went dry. Hadn't he experienced something similar? His body stiffened at the memory of him slipping on ice, falling into the frigid water, and his body locking up as the water rushed in his mouth -

"Are you still going to visit Lovecraft?"

"Wha - ?" Shaken from this thoughts, he leaned back and with eyes closed, he distractedly replied, "Yes."

"Will you tell me the real reason you're going to her?"

Harry decided to stop skirting the issue. "Because of a Prophecy."

She pursed her lips. "What if there isn't one here? Never was one?"

"There has to be a reason I'm here."

Hermione spent a while choosing her words. "I don't know if there's any significance for your presence here. I'm guessing – from all the people you just asked about – that you have a version of them in your world? Was one of them, a version of you?"

Harry nodded.

"It's human nature to sometimes see connections where there aren't any. If you flipped a coin twenty times, and it landed heads up all twenty times, most people would think that something was wrong with the coin. They forget that it's improbable, but not impossible. What if what you're seeing isn't a trick coin, but a normal one that has simply landed twenty times? What if you're just here simply because it was somewhere you could be? You had to go somewhere, and it's here with the twenty heads."

Harry shook his head. The similarities, the dreams, his abilities – it didn't point to twenty coin tosses. Briefly he entertained Hermione's idea and learned that he hated it.

"Harry, what about me? Is someone there like me?" she asked softly.

"Yes, with the same name. We've been friends for almost thirty years," he said fondly, missing the tight look on her face.

"Is that why you look at me with disappointment?"

He didn't miss the look on her face now. It was his turn to be frozen by a question. He didn't answer. In his head, he had always compared this Hermione to his Hermione. He never gave a chance for this Hermione to stand as her own person.

"I'm sorry." It was all he could say.

She didn't bother to reply.

He needed to do something. He didn't want to leave her like this. Unable to handle the silence, he blurted, "Do you have anything in your pockets?"

She was understandably confused and still a little irritated, but she dug into her pockets anyway. "A pack of gum from the vending machine upstairs and some change."

"May I borrow one of those coins?"

Hermione still didn't understand. "You don't have to borrow it. You can have it."

"No really, just borrowing."

She placed a quarter into his waiting hand. Harry read the text on one side of the coin and couldn't help the smile on his face. It was a quarter from this state, New Mexico, and in small letters, the coin proudly claimed it as "The Land of Enchantment."

"Hermione, do you trust this place?"

"It's so far the safest place I've been in."

"And what about Tony Stark?"

"Yes, when I get the chance to talk to him."

_It'll have to do_. He summoned a notepad from the corner of the table and ripped a sheet out to fold it into a small envelope. The coin glowed briefly in his hand before he slipped it into the envelope and sealed the paper with a Sticking Charm. He placed the envelope directly in her hand.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"Open it when you need a safe place. No matter where you are, if you touch the coin, it'll instantly transport you to Tony's Malibu residence. If you're already there, this'll bring you here."

"Only me?"

"You and anyone else touching it."

"Why?" she whispered, unsure if she even wanted to hear the answer. "Is it because I look like your friend?"

_Because I know how it feels to be stuck in one place._ "No, you weren't planning to stay here forever, were you?"

She reluctantly smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

Thor felt small as he waited nervously in the grand throne room of the  _dokkalfar_. Its tall stone and metal walls shone with a glow that brightened as one walked closer to the room's centerpiece: the heavy seat meant for the crown ruler of  _Svartalfheimr_. The metallic bold angles of the throne, Thor had learned, were not crafted, but grown and cultivated like crystals.  _Svartalfheimr_  had practically grown from the ashes of the great war between the  _aesir_  and  _alfar_  five thousand years ago. They had emerged weak at first but then mighty again and in this particular moment, he felt some of that crushing power, felt crowded, like the air and the walls, despite the spaciousness of throne, was somehow grinding slowly inwards.

The voice that spoke from the throne was heavy and slow, like the sound of stones tumbling together. "Why have you come before me, favored son of Asgard?"

Thor kept his head down to keep the grimace on his face from showing. This old elf, Brokkr, was a pretender and with only a few words, was already irritating him. Thor didn't raise his head until even his mother would find no fault in his demeanor. When he straightened from his bow, Thor boldly looked into the eyes of the Regent. Despite his age, trailing white beard, and dressed in black ceremonial armor, Brokkr was still a formidable warrior.

"The situation required more than the presence of a royal messenger. The Mot not only welcomes Midgard, but also doubles as a Council of War."

Brokkr chuckled. " _War_. Ah, Asgardians and your love of battle … especially yours. And where has that love taken you, firstborn Odinson?" Brokkr's gaze centered on the weapon hooked on Thor's belt.

Thor shifted uncomfortably, as he was sharply reminded of the fact that Mjollnir, while enchanted on Asgard, was first forged by Brokkr's brother. It was a weapon that was later used to quell pockets of  _Svartalfar_  resistance against Asgard.

Thor decided to add the weight of his mother's request as well, to steer the conversation on more steady ground. "The Queen of Asgard also sent me to assuage  _Svartalfheimr_  of any misunderstandings that may have occurred from the rebukes to your repeals."

"We respect Asgard's authority in these matters; we only believe Midgard's inclusion is premature. There are no ill sentiments. Your presence here is reassuring; Asgard still recognizes us as a legitimate sovereign."

_Still?!_  The gall of this decrepit old elf to view himself as the rightful successor!

"Now for the missive."

An aide quickly broke from a shadowed corner of the room to scurry to Thor. Thor gave him the document and watched as the aide climbed the steps to the throne, kneeled and offered the missive to the Regent. The elderly Brokkr held the small flat sheet in his hand for a moment, before stylized words burst from it and hung like a curtain in front of the throne. "Ah yes, the Queen of Asgard is, of course, artfully gifted in sorcery."

Thor struggled to stay calm. He was certain it was a veiled insult. Svartalfheimr didn't have the same disdain for these magical tricks as the  _aesir_ , but to Thor, the compliment made her seem unfit for Asgard.

The words of the official missive held in the air and then just as quickly disappeared back into the parchment. "Tell her highness, Svartalfheimr accepts the invitation to the Mot, set in two fortnights … set on Midgard. One final round of suffrage and Midgard will join our ranks."

Thor clenched his jaw and gave a rigid bow. The Mot wasn't even supposed to be on Midgard, but his mother had apparently lost the bid to host it on Asgard; due to Svartalfheimr's insistence on tradition, the other realms had agreed that Midgard would be best, especially since it was the realm in question.

"You may go," Brokkr dismissed.

Thor didn't waste any time. He walked away, had a growing urge to quicken his steps, and but he then forced himself to keep his pace steady. The sound of his footfalls echoed in the room, like the sound of distant war drums in the night. As soon as he stepped through the front doors of the throne room, Sif joined him. A friendly face at last. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"I'm sure you did well," Sif assured, walking side by side. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself as they passed by two armored guards standing beside the grand archway. She looked at them boldly in the eyes.

"Probably not as well as Loki would have done. I stood there, empty of any meaningful words."

"He is not here, and you did well in his stead. Besides, he was latish, and you were available after just returning to Asgard."

Thor knew that, but he sometimes wished he had some skill in delivering masked insults. When they reached a quiet corner, close to their assigned guest quarters, he carefully lowered his voice, very aware of how sounds can echo. "Anything?"

Sif stepped a little closer to whisper in his ear. "It's a little too peaceful. The servants far too quiet and hesitant. This power struggle occurred quickly and quite mysteriously. In fact, where are the signs of struggle?"

"No sign of Alflyse?" He also looked around at the solid obsidian walls and pillars for any eavesdroppers. If Thor hadn't memorized the way back to his guest quarters, he would have been lost in all the identical looking hallways.

"None of the princess."

"The King?"

"Nothing. There are whispers of treason, but how is this possible? Who could charge a King, with treason?" Sif briefly glanced behind her. "What about the one on the throne?"

"He's no King, only a puppet. He was too passive in character to have been the one to possess the throne by force, even if he carries noble blood."

Sif followed a court page with her eyes and when he noticed her, she smiled in a casual manner. The young  _alfar_  stumbled a bit and ran a little faster, avoiding all eye contact. Sif immediately turned back to Thor. "This faction is far too elusive. Are you certain you want to do this?"

"More than ever."

"Thor, you look nothing like an  _alfr_."

"I will not have to," Thor declared confidently.

Sif waited impatiently for his explanation.

"I may …" Feeling the weight of her stare, Thor rushed with the rest, "- have intruded into Loki's chambers in search of a cantrip - "

"You stole - !" Sif looked him up and down, as if to assure herself that he was intact and whole, even though she'd been with him this entire trip. "You survived in one piece, very good."

"The same cannot be said about the rooms. He placed many traps. It would be best if none of my involvement reaches him."

Sif wouldn't tell anyone, but she highly doubted his presence in Loki's quarters would remain undiscovered. With a nod of her head, she muttered, "May your steps be light and your journey safe, my prince."

Thor never liked the stiffness of formality and when it came from Sif, well that made him worry. He joked, "Lady Sif, my faithful companion, when have you known me to take the safer path?"

Sif didn't relax; she looked more anxious than before. "I should go with you."

"No, my friend. It would be easier if I travel alone. One of our guards in my full armor can masquerade as me, while none can be done for you." Thor tried to gesture politely to her figure.

Sif's eyes flashed in annoyance, but Thor wasn't going to be persuaded. His party would remain in the palace as innocent guests while he scouted the outskirts of the city for any sign that the elves had sided against Asgard and her allies. He would do it this very night.

* * *

Harry sighed and cursed. How did he end up in New York again, with Agent Barton no less? Oh right, it was because the agent had guilt-tripped him.

"You teleported me away before I could say no," Barton had accused. "And I thought you meant somewhere still in Manhattan, not halfway on the other side of the country! All my gear's there too."

"You didn't look like you had a problem when you arrived." Harry had eventually relented and asked, "Where do you want to be dropped off?"

"Stark's tower would be great. He promised me upgraded arrow shafts and I want to pick those up. He says he's out of the weapons business, stopped selling weapons, but it doesn't stop him from making them," Barton had said, a small amount of glee leaking into his voice.

Harry had Apparated the both of them back onto the balcony of Stark's private floor. They hadn't expected the company of one Pepper Potts. Two, if they counted Tony's face floating in the air as Pepper argued with it and a third, for JARVIS. Harry had only caught the end of JARVIS's message.

" – guests have arrived."

Pepper and Tony stopped immediately and turned to look outside. Harry briefly wondered how the conversation between Tony and Fury had gone. There was no trace of the anger that had marked Tony's face, instead it was only irritation reserved for Harry and Barton.

"Guys, you couldn't have said something before coming to my  _private_  floor?"

"I didn't know any other floors – " Harry defended.

"Let up, Stark. Thor uses the balcony to land too," Barton reminded.

"And he tears up the floor every time he lands!"

"You do that all the time with your suit!"

"Not all the time! And it's my floor. See the difference?"

"Don't mind Tony, he's just being difficult," Pepper said to Harry. She made it look so easy to dismiss someone like Stark. She stood up from the couch and with a few clicks from her heels, walked to the bar. "Nice to meet you. I'm Virginia Potts, but call me Pepper."

"Harry. Sorry for interrupting," Harry said.

"Oh no, we were just finished," she assured. The look on Tony's face indicated that they were  _not_ just finishing up.

"Your martini, Ms. Potts," JARVIS declared from the ceiling.

"Thank you JARVIS," Pepper sighed happily, reaching for something behind the counter. She returned to her seat with a cocktail glass and an olive in her other hand. She raised it to ask if Barton wanted anything. She received a negative and then looked to Harry.

"Water please," Harry asked. Barton smirked, figuring out that Harry wasn't there to get a drink, but letting it slide anyway. Harry felt a little camaraderie but then stamped it down. Was he being stubborn if he didn't befriend Barton because he was told to do it? Yes, he was.

JARVIS had already prepared a glass of water by the time Harry went up the steps to the bar. He discretely tapped each glass container with a finger, particularly the many scotch decanters placed in a neat row on the counter. He didn't think Pepper was one for the heavier alcohols but Tony … well. Harry suppressed the smile when he felt the charm take effect. He  _sincerely_  hoped Tony would enjoy the Every Flavor charm, normally placed on jelly bean batches, that was now in the scotch.

"Hey Stark, where are those new arrows you promised?"

"Two floors down, you know where."

"Ah, sweet."

Harry stopped Barton from leaving just yet. "Wait, do you want the same protections from underground?"

"Oh yeah, if you can."

Harry beckoned for the agent to come closer and promptly started casting a series of charms.

"She's not a traitor," Barton whispered loud enough only for Harry.

Harry momentarily lost his focus on his defensive charms. The white glow that normally accompanied a successful charm instead blinked out entirely.

"You know how I know that? She knows what you look like, your name, what you can do, and where you've been, but none of that's out in the open. She's kept it all secret. Granger's got her all wrong."

One Disillusionment, one Impervius, and one Bubble Head Charm later, Harry offered the agent something more valuable. He convinced himself it was because Barton had kept quiet about the scotch. "She's still in the city, north of here."

Barton's whispered response was professional. "Thanks for the tip, but I'm not here to look for her." And then to Harry's surprise, Barton ran and jumped off the balcony.

Harry resisted the urge to walk over and find out how the agent survived.

"This seems like a good time as any, Tony, I've got to go," Pepper announced tiredly, finishing her martini and getting up again. "You dropped a lot of things on my lap – to do  _alone_. The merger, Fleegman's case – and now SHIELD? Fury still hasn't given his OK."

"I love you?" Tony weakly offered. "And he'll come around – even if I have to force him."

Pepper was not amused and started towards the elevator.

"Pep," Tony called out. "I wasn't kidding about before. You know how I've tried to keep you separate from … stuff. I don't want to drag you into anything, but … I'm not the only face of Stark Industries. So please." Tony added a little joke, "See how I'm begging?"

"This is your begging?" Pepper said rhetorically, but in the next moment asked, "No weapons on it?"

"None, I swear."

Pepper sighed and pulled out a flat velvet box from her left trouser pocket. She slipped out two bracelets, a sleeker design but still reminiscent of the ones Harry had seen on Tony when they had been free-falling. Harry could make out the first four letters, R.E.S.C., before she clicked the two slim rings around each of her wrists.

"Should I read more into this?" Pepper asked.

"Maybe," Tony admitted cheekily. "You know I don't do normal, babe."

"This isn't easy to hide. What about your latest design?"

Tony winced. That was not a normal wince of failure; that was a wince of remembered pain. "Still in beta. I swear, JARVIS is trying to pummel me with the newest suit."

"I can make these … less conspicuous," Harry offered.

"Ooh yeah, do that," Tony said.

Taking a look at the slender and thin curve of the bracelets, Harry realized that the entire thing was electronic. "I can make this more durable and waterproof too."

"No excuse to take them off for showers, Pep. And I can check too, not that I need an excuse."

Should Tony be talking like this when others are around? Pepper was a beautiful woman and Harry fought to keep his thoughts away from Pepper and showers. He touched each of the bracelets briefly, and discreetly turned them in a way so he could read the rest of the letters. R.E.S.C.U.E. Ah, so that explained it. Giving her these was like Tony admitting that he couldn't protect Potts on his own, that she needed the means to protect herself. It also meant that she could stand side by side with him, if she wanted.

"All done." Harry let go when the bracelets stopped glowing from the charms he cast. Unless one searched for them, it was difficult to notice the blurred edges of the bracelets.

Pepper smiled in thanks before entering the elevator.

When Pepper was gone, Tony excitedly leaned closer. His face completely filled the screen as he stretched forward to pick up a metal mask. "Hey, Harry come back over here. I got some new ideas about your bottomless bag trick."

"What? No, jokes about rabbits?"

"I'm being serious here, Mary Poppins – " Tony replied, but then distractedly asked, "but can you really pull bunnies out? Do you take requests?"

"I'm not a child's birthday party magician." Harry waved his hand as if he could banish the thought. "You want a convenient place for your suit, I'm guessing? I can work on that when I get back."

"Wait, wait, wait! Get something for me."

"I'm not going on a fast-food run for you."

"No! Get that wrist band on the table there!"

"This?" Harry picked up something that looked like a solid band of plastic.

"Yeah, I've been working on it. Try it on."

"It's not going to work – and what is it?"

"Try it!" Tony urged and when he noticed Harry's doubt said, "It's not anything bad!"

Harry's suspicion rose. Not anything bad didn't necessarily mean good. "What is it?"

"A communication device."

Harry hesitated but then relented. The band magnetically snapped on his wrist and comfortably tightened so that it wouldn't slip off.

Tony was looking to the side, his eyes busy reading something – and then he appeared to wither in his seat. "Still can't get anything through."

"I did say it wouldn't work," Harry reminded. "Have you forgotten what you said?"

"I'm a genius! Of course, I haven't. It's just JARVIS won't always be around you – and dammit, you're gonna turn invisible, aren't you? As in people-can't-see-you invisible."

"You know about that?" Harry asked quietly, forcibly reminded of the Invisibility Cloak.

"Of course I know! Genius here." Tony pointed to himself. "It went from radio to microwave. What do you think is next? Infrared and visible light."

Harry recognized the jealousy and teased, "We have invisibility cloaks where I'm from. Actual full-body invisibility."

"Now, you're just making me feel bad. I  _was_  trying to help you –"

"I got an idea. If you want to contact me, I can …" Harry picked up another wrist band. He linked his and the one in his fingers with a Protean Charm. He placed it back on the table and started to step back. "Tell me when you see something."

When Harry was a few feet away from the table, Tony cried out, "Hold it! Yeah, right there."

"Now send something to the one on the table."

Tony started swiping at something off-screen. A moment later, Harry felt a warmth on his wrist, a mark that the charm had received something. There was a line of white text flashing across the band. "What are these numbers?"

"It worked, whoo! It's Hef's number by the way, you know for the bunnies."

No, he didn't know about the bunnies or anyone by the name of Hef. "This would be useful in areas where – "

"Signal's bad. Yeah, thanks buddy!"

"Anything else you want me to – "

And then he felt it: a recognizable pressure, a slight push.  _Why is that arsehole here?_

" - how are you going to send messages back to me? Hello? HQ to Harry."

"Huh? Oh, I can change the serial number into letters and the other wristband will warm up when you get messages," Harry said distractedly. "I'm going to go, I'll be back."

Tony checked something and understanding lightened his face. "Oh yeah, your date. Two hours ahead over there, but - "

"It's not a date!" Harry heatedly protested. He walked over to the balcony, his eyes sweeping over the twinkling cityscape. Despite his frustration at Tony's joke, a thought occurred. "Tony, do you now know about dark magic?"

"Jane finally stopped her mime routine, so yeah. Why do you ask, young padawan?"

Maybe he was being overly cautious, but … he was getting a bad feeling. "Do you know where Loki is?"

"What are you talking about? He's not there?"

"I can tell when someone who uses it is around. I just want to make sure it's him."

"JARVIS?" Tony called out.

"One step ahead of you, sir. The younger Mr. Odinson left for Asgard and is scheduled to return later tonight – "

"What? Why?" Tony demanded.

"More importantly sir, the pattern from the Cube is from an unknown."

"Cube? Unknown?" Harry asked.

"Apparently the Cube resonates when you or Loki is around. Or in this case, a third person."

Like lightning had struck, he realized with a shudder that if he could feel the other … Harry immediately turned back to the city. The other dark practitioner!

"Isn't this Cube's ability something I should know?" Harry hastily cast a Cushioning Charm and then  _Impervius_  over his clothes, carefully applying the spell so that it left his hands and most importantly, his head exposed.

"I didn't know about this until recently."

Harry layered a Disillusionment over the  _Impervius_. "I meant something Loki should have told me?"

"Maybe? I don't know, when was there time to give you the grand tour? Besides,  _you_  don't need this to know when one of them's around.  _We_  do!"

"I can't tell from across this country!" Harry snapped. He felt it drawing closer. He made a decision; the tower was a bad place for a confrontation.

"Don't go –"

"It's coming, Tony." Harry pulled down his sleeve and raised his left fist up to show the wristband. "I'll keep this. Look for the lightshow."

He disappeared with a faint pop.

* * *

Harry Apparated onto a wide empty rooftop.

"Damn," he cursed, nervously looking at the traffic below, sparkling like it was a string of Christmas lights. He didn't know where he was going, but the buildings around him had fewer floors and hopefully they were as vacant as they looked.

It was the best he could do, everywhere was populated! He could only draw the dark practitioner away from the tower, Apparate to intercept him, and prayed that this move wouldn't look too suspicious – and he wasn't disappointed when the air several feet from him rippled and the image of a human man filled the space and solidified. The image was flawless; here was a middle-aged man with graying hairs, clad in a polo shirt and slacks, and no distinguishable features. It was an easy face to forget, an easy face to blend into the crowd. Harry refused to believe he was human.

Harry stayed calm, knowing that he was still partially hidden by the Disillusionment. He forced his hands and feet to stay in one place, adopting a more casual stance to not betray his nervousness and alarm.

An open palm with fingers pointed down was presented to him.

Harry automatically copied the move, some disbelief coursing through him. Half of it from this entire situation staying civil and the other half from the fact that the hand symbol was truly benign. He had at one point considered the possibility that Loki had actually lied about the meaning of the gesture. For all Harry knew, it could be the cosmic version of the middle finger.

"Ah, a brother of the Dark."

The voice was forgettable, but the air around the man was of someone with cultivated power. Harry stayed quiet, didn't know how else to respond.

"Why have you come here? To join us, perhaps? You chose a strange place to reveal yourself, but we welcome all who honor our Lady of the Dark – and how you must honor her, she clearly favors you."

Who was this lady? Harry nodded once to keep up the pretense.

"Staying silent and hidden?" The voice had been curious and cautious, but now irritation was mixed in.

Harry silently scoffed at the question, as if the  _man_  could rightly criticize when he was hiding behind a human face. Harry didn't think he could keep up the charade anymore without talking or revealing his face.

From the corner of his eye, a streak of light darted across the sky. It was the Iron Man suit. From the way it was flying in large circles, Tony must be looking for the promised lightshow. Harry could feel his wrist warm up, but made no move to answer.

_Not now Tony!_

The man looked up and growled, "A mechanical fly." With a sneer, he watched the suit pass by.

Harry released a breath he had been holding, thinking the conversation would be uninterrupted, that the suit would fly by unharmed – but he was wrong. It collided into something invisible, was whipped out of the air and with a mighty crunch, was thrown into the busy street of Park Avenue – the suit's movement traced perfectly in the air by the man's index finger.

_Tony!_

Harry gritted his teeth as the sounds of screeching metal and tires mixed with human screams.

The man was in mid-laugh when Harry shot off an  _Immobulus_ , splashing onto the man in a burst of light, but the spell barely did anything and after a dazed blink, he snarled, "You dare  _break_  a covenant?"

Harry seethed. He didn't care about any covenants. All he could think about was taking the man down. Assuming the man a telekinetic, Harry needed a different tactic. Maybe a shield charm would block it?

Harry threw down an Anti-Apparition Jinx and bolted in the opposite direction to get out of its area of effect, a  _Protego_  already in place to protect his back. He didn't get very far when something knocked him off his feet and lugged him back through the tight space underneath his shield.

"Ugh - !" He yelped as his arms and chin scraped across the rough cement. Ignoring the sting, he looked at his feet and realized that nothing was on them – and then in another moment, he understood why they had been targeted. His  _Protego_  didn't stretch down all the way to the ground!

His pants hem wrinkled before crushing pain stretched from his foot and overwhelmed him.

Harry screamed.

"Vile scullion! You attack a King, attack a –"

And then all of a sudden the hold on his leg dropped and the pain lessened enough for Harry to focus back on the fight. An intervention had arrived in the form of the Iron Man suit, flying in pieces and hurling themselves at the man. Of course! It had only been Tony's suit. A single metal glove hovered in the air, flared bright and shot off a ruby-red laser into the enemy's face.

_Merlin's_   _beard_ … To Harry's shock, the man staggered back up, growling as if it had all been a nuisance. Tony's armor was still flying around, shooting lasers, but one by one they were being knocked away.

_Shite_ ,  _I'm a sitting duck!_

Harry cancelled his first shield and cast the slower  _Protego_   _Maxima_  and  _Fianto_   _Duri_  to give him the time, that precious time, to mend his shattered foot and leg. He hissed in pain as he quickly sat up and pulled his injured leg closer. A bright aura enveloped his hands to cover over his foot. He urged his spell to work faster. Faster, faster,  _faster_ , he chanted in his head and grimaced through the cracking of the bones as they realigned in quick snaps. He broke out in cold sweat as the last of the spell finished.

_Thunk!_  Harry looked up at the sound. Several more pieces of crushed red and gold metal were thrown into his shield to only disintegrate into falling embers. A few pieces bounced on the ground and rolled to a stop, including a dented mask. All of the metal limbs were strewn across the rooftop. Tony's suit had lost.

"Prongs!" Harry called out, his hand outstretched to the side. Tendrils of light spilled from his hand and pooled together into the noble stag. It wasn't even fully formed when it snorted and sprang unimpeded across the shield to engage the enemy, dancing in and out, its antlers trying to catch and tear into clothes. Prongs was only playing a trick, because Harry knew very well that a Patronus couldn't physically interact –

And then Prongs grappled and  _threw_  the enemy up into the air with his antlers.

"…the hell… ?" Harry had to close his mouth. He didn't have time to think about this! Recovering from his shock, Harry released the  _Protego_   _Maxima_  and aimed quickly at his falling enemy.

_Inflecto Telum!_

Flicking his hand forward, Harry sent out a spray of fire arrows as he ran for cover. He conjured the hottest flames he could, short of Fiendfyre. Like buckshot, the arrows spread apart wider the farther they traveled, increasing the chances of him hitting the elf. No disarming charm, no spell that merely incapacitated – Harry didn't think about it, he just wanted to give some of that pain back!

Several of the arrows found their target, igniting the man's clothes before a loud crunch signaled his landing. Harry intently watched as the flames engulfed the entire figure and burned away the human façade to reveal a pair of gray eyes set in a burnt ashen face. Long braided white hair replaced the short haircut and the human clothes disappeared altogether to show the white and black armor underneath.

_There's the real you_. _An alfr._

With some lingering flames on his braided hair, the  _alfr_  quickly stood up and padded the fire down. Wanting to take advantage of the distraction, Harry fired off another curse.  _Expulso!_  It was intercepted by a piece of Tony's armor that had moments ago been lying broken on the ground. The  _alfr_ apparently wasn't that distracted that it couldn't summon Tony's armor for protection.

_Damn_.

Harry tried to vanish it before the  _alfr_  sent it in his direction. The metal instead flew through his Patronus, leaving a hole in its chest that quickly filled back up. The stag charged, missed, halted and looked back to deliver a vicious kick with its hind legs.

"Yes!" Harry crowed in a surge of triumph as Prongs knocked the  _alfr_  back onto the ground. He covered his back again with a shield, this one reaching down to his feet, ran and ducked behind a large fan unit. He could feel its hum through the back of his shirt. Inspired by Muninn, Harry conjured dozens of black ravens and directed them out to occupy his attacker. Next, he raised his hand, aiming at the air above his enemy and casted another series of  _Protego Maxima_ ,  _Fianto Duri_ , and  _Repello Inimicum_  – but this time its effects was set to face inside the shield. Harry was trying to entrap the  _alfr_  in a shield, unable to cross the barrier and unable to teleport away.

The dark elf charged forward, ignoring the razor beaks and claws of the conjured birds and dodging around Prongs. Like a veritable dark cloud, he was gaining more ground, getting closer to Harry.

Harry forced the spells to go faster, his hands shaking with the strain. With the shield dome only half-way down, it wasn't growing fast enough! With a curse, Harry cancelled the shield so he could step out of the Anti-Apparition ward.

The  _alfr_  lunged forward.

Time seemed to slow down when Harry saw the cold flash of metal in the elf's hand. He immediately released a bone-breaking Impedimenta Jinx into his pursuer's chest, blinding the area in between them with a flash of red.

Harry watched as the elf was flung back. He Apparated away and aimed for the adjacent building, feeling his body being constricted into a narrow tube, feeling himself slipping from –

And then was torn from his destination when something collided into him, sending him into a spiral.

He grunted, saw his clean Apparition tunnel collapsing and then exploding into a flurry out of his control.

_No!_ With no bearings, he was trapped here.

He didn't have time for a second thought, when he smashed into a body.

"Wha - ?!" It was the  _alfr_!

Harry tried to pull up a shield, but it wasn't fully formed before he was knocked back into the raging winds, bounced around in the gusts, and crashed on something solid to finally roll onto his stomach. The wind knocked out from him, he gasped in a painful breath and lifted his head to search frantically for the  _alfr_.

He saw nothing, no light to show him anything. He clamped a hand over his nose and mouth to force himself to quiet down, but his ears heard nothing. A quick check to make sure he couldn't feel dark magic, nothing.

There was no one.

It was pitch black, incredibly hot, but he was thankfully alone!

Harry felt like laughing and collapsed back onto the ground in relief, but he became alarmed when something warm and sticky bloomed down his chest. He immediately casted  _Lumos_  and gently rolled onto his back _._

"Shite…" Harry breathed out, when it was too painful for him to bend his neck to see the damage. This was bad, he had trouble moving his left side.

"Sir?"

Harry blinked at the familiar voice. "JARVIS?"

"Over to your right, sir."

Miraculously, the helmet had ended up with him. Harry summoned it to him.

"You need immediate medical attention, sir."

_That was obvious._  Harry huffed, but didn't say anything. Groaning in pain, he rolled onto his knees and feeling dizzy, slowly crawled next to a wall. His left side felt like dead weight. He carefully sat down and opted for a slow and quiet release of breath. He breathed in just as slow. Anything more than that and he'd start seeing spots again.

He had a more pressing problem than his injury. It was the heat and moisture. It was unbearably hot; his clothes were now completely soaked with sweat and it did nothing to cool him. The only cool parts he felt was the chill creeping from his hands and feet. That was never a good sign; that was a sign of blood loss. He was in no state to Apparate, overheated and unsteady like this. He covered his eyes with his hand, feeling like his head was going to be swept away in a swirl of dizziness. If he didn't hurry, he was going to pass out from the heat and die right here.

"The mask will filter the air for you to breathe – "

Harry waved it away; he didn't need it. It wasn't just the air around his head that needed filtering. There was something in the air here that was stinging his lungs and skin.

"JARVIS?" Harry called out. He said it so weakly, he wasn't sure the A.I. heard him.

"Yes sir?"

"Keep talking."

JARVIS obliged and continued to drone on. " – humidity at 96%. Temperature, 58 ⁰C. I apologize sir, but the cooling unit did not arrive with us - "

Harry had something else in mind. He expanded the bubble head charm away from his face, enlarging the charm so that it covered the small area around him like a tent.

" – humidity now at 48% - "

Now for a jinx that he often used in his own office back in the DoM.  _Meteolojinx,_  the substitute for muggle air conditioning. He lost focus for a second and the spell faltered in his hand. Harry doubled his effort. For a moment he thought it hadn't worked, but then JARVIS started to monitor the temperature.

" … 57⁰C … 54⁰C … "

Using JARVIS's voice as an anchor, he started inspecting his ruined red-stained shirt and then gingerly unbuttoning the top half. His right hand kept wavering, his cooling fingers slipping on a button.

" … 51⁰C … 48⁰C … "

The way his shirt was soaking up the blood, the stain blossoming over him and not showing any sign of clotting – this was serious. It didn't matter that he was told that he had miraculously survived two deaths – he still half-believed it – a prickle of fear still wormed its way through him. He was dying. What if it was permanent this time?

" … 45⁰C … 42⁰C … "

He couldn't move his entire left side and it wasn't only because of the pain. Something edged and rough had lodged straight through his left collar bone.  _Ha_ , Harry laughed mentally with absolutely no humor,  _what a strike._  His charms over his clothes hadn't failed, the blade just went in through the collar of his shirt.

" … 40⁰C … 38⁰C … "

Harry thickly swallowed and without thinking more about it, promptly commanded the metallic piece to come straight out into his waiting hand, the sharp movement generating a wet sound.

He failed to catch the damn thing when his body rattled and shivered with the sudden removal of the shrapnel.

He thought he heard a scream.

" … 36⁰C … 34⁰C … "

But there was no one around; it had been only him. He immediately used his hand to clamp down over the wound, sending fresh pain throughout his body. Panting, he spent a morbid moment looking at the piece of metal and realized that it wasn't metal at all. It felt too light and was darkly opaque.

" … 32⁰C … 30⁰C … "

His eyes tried to rapidly blink the tiredness away. Harry shook his head to clear it a little, trying to ignore the cold numbness that was now climbing up his legs and upper arms.

" … 29⁰C … 28⁰C … "

He was rusty with his healing spells and he regretted never receiving any medi-wizardry training. He needed something stronger than a standard healing spell. Come on, come on, what was that spell again? He had used it before when he had accidentally cut deep into his hand not one month ago in the DoM Potions lab. It was also the one Snape used on Malfoy in the flooded lavatory!  _What was it?!_

" … 27⁰C … 26⁰C … "

His cotton-stuffed brain finally spit out the answer.

" _Vulnera sanentur_ ," Harry breathed out, a hand over his collarbone, and slipping back into the habit of calling out spell names. He repeated it. In his mind, he chanted the words, hoping for a numbing effect, a blankness from the pain. The charm was slow going and felt strange, like simultaneously feeling a negative pressure and cool water pouring over the wound. He hissed at the sensation. The bone underneath snapped together as blinding pain streaked across his body, the spell almost sputtering out when he couldn't maintain his full concentration. Harry bit back the cry, ground his teeth together, feeling like they might shatter with all the force.

" … 25⁰C … 24⁰C … "

There was tightening and stinging as the broken skin drew itself closer together and the pain dissipated. Amazed and awed, he watched as his slick fingers and stained shirt cleared of blood, all of it disappearing up into the air in barely visible wisps of red.

" … 23⁰C … 22⁰C … "

He gingerly moved his left shoulder, stretching the muscles on his upper torso to test it out. No pain. Harry closed his eyes in relief, bonelessly lying against the wall. He felt like sleeping.

He needed to tell the others about the  _alfr_. He looked at JARVIS, the helmet now on his lap.

"JARVIS, where are we?"

"An enclosed cavern with no detectable exits – "

"Please tell me …" Harry began, a little breathless. "… we didn't go somewhere ridiculously far."

"I am unable to determine our location nor am I able to communicate outside. There are signs of a recent collapse to your left - "

Harry slowly turned his head to the left, struggling to stay awake. There was part of what looked like a large drilling machine crushed underneath a small mountain of stones. It looked muggle, but he wasn't an expert on mining equipment.

JARVIS surveyed the metal wreckage for a few seconds before continuing, "The machinery is common for underground room-and-pillar mining. It is registered to Roxxon Oil, an international oil and minerals company."

So he was still on earth, which was a relief.

He was fighting a losing battle to keep his head up. He blankly stared at his wristband. He should send something to Tony. Yawning into his hand, he decided to close his eyes, only briefly. He wasn't sleeping, wasn't napping … because the same anxiety he felt when he was a teenager suffering from nightmares and visions was creeping over him again, slowly overwhelming him. He felt like he was losing control again. He was only taking a break, not sleeping.

Harry fell asleep.

"Sir, the surrounding crystal structure is unusual for earth-based geology…"

* * *

With his cheek to the ground, Harry blinked and his eyes focused on the tiny grains of sand and pebbles inches away. His ears picked up the sound of rushing water behind him and his feet felt wet. He sat up and tried to rub the dirt and sand away from his face, turning his head to look all around him. There was a wide river next to him, its other side barely visible from his point of view.

He checked himself for injuries, hands going over matted hair and then his shoulder, and it was then he discovered that he was dressed in fur again.

"Here again…"

On his feet now, he approached the cool wild river with soggy boots. Each step making squish, squish noises. He barely noticed the discomfort, too engrossed in his search for anything familiar. He spotted his fur cloak bobbing up and down in the water. It was near enough that he grabbed it as it was passing by, wetting his clothes again. He noted that the river's waters weren't as frigidly cold, slightly warmed by the spring weather, but it was now more dangerous to cross; the river was turbulent with some ice still dotting its banks and Harry could see where the water slammed and swerved around the rocks underneath. Anyone hapless enough to fall in would be battered, torn, and swept through the torrents.

He could find no trace of the Sphinx, wasn't expecting it if it had all been a trick – but his eyes caught the outline of a man in the distance. He was busy going back and forth from the river's banks to a small cluster of flowering trees.

Based on the last two times, Harry could leave right now. He didn't have to stay … but curiosity was a powerful motivator; it guided Harry's feet. He charmed his clothes to dry on the way, absently noting how there was less and less ice in the water, and how the sunlight strengthened the more he walked.

Drawing closer, Harry realized that the man was collecting large rocks and depositing them on two piles. If he looked carefully enough, he could see a dirty cloth underneath the stacked rocks.

Maybe he should help first then ask questions.

The man didn't notice the steady footsteps until Harry offered a hand. So startled was the old man, he stumbled and shakily held up a knife in one hand and a rock in the other like he was about to throw it at Harry.

"Wait, wait!" Harry jumped back, both hands out in a non-threatening way, but he was ready to subdue the man if necessary.

For some reason, seeing both of Harry's hands calmed the man and he slowly tucked in his weapon.

"Excuse – " Harry began but then stopped when the man sobbed. He noticed the stranger's red nose and eyes … and the two mounds of earth and rocks made sense.

He was in mourning.

Harry lifted the stone the man had bent down to pick up and smiled sadly. "I'll help you."

The man just shook his head, not to disagree, but because he didn't understand. Harry had suspected it, going from how the man was dressed in linen and woolen trousers, wraps around his calves, and a long sleeved shirt – all of it handmade. He spoke several syllables and it was now Harry who didn't understand. Harry shook his head and shrugged to indicate that he was just as lost.

He wasn't remotely close to a linguist, but the fact that he could not recognize any of the words was very puzzling. He had traveled a lot as an Unspeakable, and normally he would have a guess or two on a possible language upon hearing foreign words, but he drew a complete blank here.

What was he doing here? What was the point of this dream?

The man didn't say anymore but watched Harry take the stone and set it carefully on one of the mounds. After that, the man just accepted the fact that Harry was there to stay. They worked quietly and when the man was satisfied, he waved at Harry to stop taking any more rocks from the river's banks. Harry dropped the one he had been holding but a dirty orange glint near his foot caught his eye. It looked like a piece of amber embedded in some gray colored rock. He picked it up and walked to the man. Harry thought it was a nice looking color, but finding no use for it, he handed it to the man when his old watery eyes settled on it.

The cry of joy was instantaneous and the man started speaking, his words tumbling out. Harry still didn't understand but he could tell that the man was very happy. The man quickly took out a metal piece from his clothes and in a sliding motion, showed that these two things were supposed to strike each other.

_Oh, fire-making tools: the flint and the steel._  Harry had mistakenly thought the value would come from the orange colored rock, but it was the gray chert that was highly valued. He'd had no need for flint stones before but he knew the concept.

The excitement soon died when the man somberly returned the rock. Harry shook his head and wrapped the man's fingers around it; he didn't need it as much as the man did. Harry received a sad, thankful nod. It was at this moment Harry remembered an old tradition. What if the man meant to send his two loved ones floating on the water, funeral pyre burning brightly? The man just didn't have the tools to do it before … and now, the man didn't look like he could stand another day out here.

Standing beside the burial mounds in silence, Harry didn't know what else to do.

He looked up at the flowering trees. They were numerous and some of them even grew close to the water's edge. His breath escaped him when his eyes found the vibrant green leaves framing each floret.  _Those leaves …_

His left hand automatically fisted at the memory of him snapping the branch off.

Harry was shaken from his shock when the man waved his hands, worry creasing his face.

Harry somehow got the message across that he was alright and then pointed up at the flowers and like a game of charades, gestured with his arms over the twin mounds of rocks and then waited for the man to accept. Harry didn't want to interrupt any burial customs but he thought if the man had buried his loved ones near these beautiful trees, then the flowers may be fine as decoration.

The man stared at him, a little uncertain, then muttered lowly.

The man gave Harry a slow nod. Harry nodded back and went around to pick the prettiest white clusters before giving them to the man. It didn't feel right to place them himself – Harry knew nothing about these two lying coldly in the ground - but only half of the floral bunch was taken from Harry. It seemed the man was fine with Harry placing some himself.

After laying the white florets gently, Harry uncomfortably turned his head away as the man wept quietly. When the weeping segued to sobbing, Harry decided to give the man some privacy and left his side, back in the direction of the river.

Maybe he should just leave entirely. This dream was telling him nothing.

The sunset was on the horizon and the evening was cooling the air. Had time passed so quickly?

Across the river, he could see a small fire being built. A number of men had camped around it and like Harry, was looking across the river. When one of them noticed the old man, he shouted at the others and together, all of them began to yell and point. Harry looked back at the old man who had scrambled away to hide behind the trees, fortunately in time to avoid the arrow that was now stuck into the ground. The man went farther into the grove.

_Protego_

A shield leapt from Harry's hand to intercept the volley of arrows and it was then that he got the camp's attention. The men stood silently for a moment and then in a giant ruckus, scattered away, leaving their camp and supplies as if they were running for their lives.

"Strange…" Harry looked around him to see if there was anything that might have scared them off. There was nothing and he decided that it had to be his magic. The presence of those men finally answered why the old man had crossed onto this side of the river.

Harry immediately turned back to the burial mounds, covered in stones and flowers. Two graves and one survivor … did these two die trying to cross the river?

Harry shivered – and the tingling feeling up his spine had nothing to do with the cool air; he was still overdressed in animal skins. As for the man, he was shuffling his way back out of the trees and wiped his eyes with his sleeves one more time before confronting Harry.

And with crushing certainty, Harry now knew the man. This was no unknown – not anymore. This wasn't the same Tale; this was different and older, but still almost every wizard child would know of this man.

" _Stay away,"_  Harry breathed out. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. He didn't want to finish this story, because he didn't know what all of it meant.

The man shook visibly when the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the forest and mountains. He was cold, but that wasn't why he came to Harry. It was for a final goodbye and thank you.

Harry was lost. He knew what was going to happen next … but he didn't want to do it. He was compelled to do it anyway. It was cruel not to offer.

Harry hadn't seen any other clothing or belongings on the man. Perhaps it had been lost to the river? They probably were. The man's possessions were also not the only ones that were lost to the river it seemed; Harry didn't have to guess who the man had recently lost. His tongue feeling like lead, Harry thickly swallowed as he looked back at the burial mounds. The day had been hot, but the night was starting to chill. With the way the man's thin frame shook like a leaf and with nothing else on him but the chert and flowers he was keeping as a memento, he may not survive to his destination.

_There were once three brothers…_  three brothers who survived the river. Three magical items were requested, three magical items were given, and three magical items were received – all to trick the brothers to die. But here, only one brother survived and no items were requested…

Throat dry, Harry slowly removed his cloak and held it out to the thinly dressed man. A leathery, wrinkled hand hesitantly reached for the cloak and the other grasped Harry's hand in gratitude. In that instance, Harry decided to gift the man one more thing, to help him escape the hunters. He watched as the man, wide-eyed, realized that his own hand was slowly disappearing.

And only then did the dream let Harry go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This story will not cross-over into the DC-verse.  
> The culture behind the Dark Elves in the Thor 2 movie wasn't explored in any depth – which I found both disappointing and a relief. Disappointment because they came off as flat villains and relief because, I have more freedom to make up whatever I want. :D  
> Roxxon Oil is in both the comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe (in an extra scene with Coulson).  
> No, I didn't make up the name RESCUE. That's from Marvel comics and cartoons.  
> I thank my betas, Junky and bookworm51485. A special thanks to Mabidiso for PM-ing me about continuing this story. Thanks to all of you who've reviewed and stayed with this story.


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